The decision has been taken to cancel this month’s Bedford Holi Festival, the first time the event was due to be staged in the town centre.
The unique cultural event is organised by the Hindu Society of Bedford to celebrate Holi – an Indian cultural festival of colours.
This year’s event was in collaboration with Specatularts and was scheduled to take place on St Mary’s Gardens on Sunday 29 March.
A statement on the Spectacularts Facebook page, said, “It is with great regret, having taken health and safety into consideration, that the Hindu Society Committee are cancelling the Holi festival event due to the possible spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and any potential exposure to the general public.
“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
With a summer of festivals and events planned in Bedford, the current advice from the government’s chief medical officer is that mass gatherings and sporting events are permitted to go ahead.
