The Machynlleth Comedy Festival, which was due to take place this May, has been cancelled due to coronavirus, organisers announced this morning.

The statement said: "Due to the current Covid-19 Coronovirus crisis it is with huge sadness that we must cancel this year’s Machynlleth Comedy Festival. We know this will be a huge disappointment for all those who were planning to attend, and we share in that disappointment. Please know that we have not taken this decision lightly, but under current guidance and information we felt we couldn’t proceed in good conscience.

"We take our responsibilities to the town of Machynlleth, our audience, artists and crew very seriously, and therefore accept that bringing 8,000 people to the town would currently pose an unnecessary risk to public health.

"The arts is one of many sectors that are going to be hit particularly hard in the coming months, and whilst cancelling the festival is a devastating blow for us, we know that there are also knock on effects for everyone we work with to put on the festival. If you value the arts then please try to find ways to support them throughout this period.

"For now our focus will be on finding a way through this so that we can return stronger than ever in 2021, and we are also making plans for how Aberystwyth Comedy Festival can make up for this disappointment in October.

"We will be working closely with Ticketsolve to refund all show and campsite tickets, minus booking fee, in the coming days, and we thank you for your patience and understanding during this time."