THE Bournemouth Music Competitions Festival has been cancelled for the first time since the Second World War.

Dance, music, speech and drama contests should have been under way now but coronavirus has led to the cancellation of all events.

Now organisers are looking forward to next year and have released the 2021 dates for information.

Festival organiser Kevin Knight said: "We have run a festival every year since 1926, with the exception of two years during the second world war, so this year, 2020, will be the only year in peace time that the festival has not been held.

"We have had a busy spring, refunding the 1,200 fees which we had collected for the dance competitions, which would normally be held during this spring half term week.

"Fortunately, because the Music, Speech and Drama parts of the festival are later in the year, we have not had quite the same problem as the warnings about Corona were circulating long before our entry closing date.

"Venues have been cancelled, adjudicators and their accommodation have been cancelled and all the work done in preparation for the events themselves have been ‘binned’."

Plans have now been made for next year when dance competitions will run from May 29 to June 5 with speech, drama, instrumentals, vocals and choirs held throughout the month of June.

Anyone who wants information can go to bmcf.info or email bmthfestival@gmail.com