Coronavirus: Ubud Food Festival postponed to June

The culinary adventures promised by the annual Ubud Food Festival (UFF), initially scheduled for mid-April, will now have to wait until at least June, following an announcement of the event’s postponement amid the international outbreak of the novel coronavirus. 

“UFF20 is now scheduled for 26-28 June 2020. The team is optimistic that by then, government and community efforts will have effectively prevented the spread of COVID-19,” a statement announcing this latest update received by Coconuts today, reads.

“With a large festival gathering, the foundation does not have the capacity to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved. With travelers now being advised not to travel to Bali, this is also jeopardizing the festival’s sustainability.” 

Organizers say they will be announcing a new program and the full lineup as soon as possible, with those who have purchased tickets for the festival eligible for a refund. They also have the option to keep the amount as deposit for when the festival takes place in June. For more information about the postponement, click here.

The sixth edition of UFF was initially scheduled for April 17-19, set to bring together more than 90 chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, food writers and others from the culinary industry under the theme of “Heroes”. The planned program aimed to showcase collaborations between local food heroes and acclaimed chefs from across the globe to encourage cross-cultural exchange, organizers say. 

UFF joins a growing number of international events being postponed due to the global COVID-19 outbreak, which has now affected more than 97,000 people across the globe and killed over 3,000. 

On Monday, Indonesia confirmed its first two cases of domestic COVID-19 infections, with the government appearing to step up their readiness in handling possible additional cases in the country. Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced restricted access for travelers from South Korea, Iran and Italy, following an increasing number of cases from those countries.