Birmingham St Patrick's Day Parade postponed amid Covid-19 fears
Birmingham's St Patrick's Day parade has been cancelled amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Organisers say they are 'devastated' but are set to hold the celebration later in the year.
Festival chair Peter Connolly said: “We are devastated to share this news with you, however, we are committed to providing our city with a belated St Patrick’s celebration that we can all be proud of later in the year."
Read more about events affected by coronavirus in the Midlands and Shropshire here.
The famous festival was set to return after previously facing being axed.
Chasetown Civil Engineers and Court Collaboration joined forces to finance the event after former sponsor Kiely Bros Ltd were unable to continue.
The event, launched in 1952, attracts more than 100,000 visitors worldwide and is claimed to be the third largest St Patrick's Parade in the world behind Dublin and New York - both of which have been cancelled this year.
Artists and organisers have been forced to postpone and cancel a number of scheduled events due to the outbreak.
The Who and American singer/songwriter and YouTuber Poppy have cancelled their planned tour visits to the region.
Further afield, both Coachella and Stagecoach festivals in the US have been postponed until October due to the virus.
The double postponement follows the cancellation of the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, for the first time in 34 years as the entertainment industry grapples with the spread of coronavirus.
