Due to the coronavirus outbreak, the UK government has advised against mass gatherings in the country for the foreseeable future. Sadly, this has led to the cancellation of huge sporting and music events. If you’ve been impacted by these cancellations, read on to find out if you’re eligible for a refund.

Huge events such as Glastonbury, the Euros 2020, and other dates have been postponed or cancelled after the government issued precautions of how to ‘flatten the curve’ of the coronavirus outbreak.

So if you’ve got tickets to a cancelled/rescheduled event, are you entitled to a refund in this unusual situation?

Can I get a refund?

If you bought your tickets from a registered seller (like an authentic ticket site such as Ticketmaster), you should be entitled to an automatic refund. This will usually cover the price of your ticket, but sadly not postage or booking fees. However, if you booked your tickets through a reselling site, your rights to a refund will depend on their individual terms and conditions. Many ticket reselling sites like Viagogo are giving full refunds due to coronavirus cancellations.

Similarly, if your event has been rescheduled but you can’t attend the new date, you should be entitled to a full refund.

Some events like Glastonbury are allowing attendees to roll over their deposits until next year’s festival, so they can secure a place. If you’d rather just claim your money back instead of attending a rescheduled event, contact your ticket seller.

What if my accommodation closes?

If your event is still going ahead as planned but your hotel, hostel, or other form of accommodation is closed, the situation isn’t as clear.

You can contact your ticket seller and hope for a goodwill gesture, or use ticket protection if you purchased it when you initially bought tickets to the event. If you’ve booked your accommodation as part of a package (with flights and tickets too), you’ll potentially be able to claim on your travel insurance. Fingers crossed!

Will I get a refund if I decide not to go?

Sadly, if you simply decide no longer to attend an event, you’re unlikely to receive a refund. You could contact your ticket seller to explain your concerns and hope for a goodwill gesture. However, if you do this you won’t be protected by any refund policies or laws.