Departure Festival Cancelled Amidst New Covid Rules in Mexico

Destination festivals have been all the rage in recent years. And Tulum was at the center of it all, where even through the pandemic, the party seemed to continue. Last year a brain trust of lauded promoters came to imagine a new festival experience in Playa Del Carmen called Departure. Conceived by Pollen Presents, The CityFox Experience, and Brooklyn Mirage, the five-day event promised an impressive lineup including Adam Beyer, Cassy, Lee Foss, The Martinez Brothers, Jamie Jones, and Dubfire. 

The rise of the Omicron variant has cast a shadow over the world as cases rise to unprecedented numbers. And as festival-goers made the journey to Tulum to escape the winter's chill, festival organizers were forced to postpone the opening day of the festival on Thursday.

Early today, festival organizers posted a social media update announcing the total cancelation of the festival. They said, "It is with an incredibly heavy heart that on the weekend of our show, after ten days of building and months of planning, we have been instructed that we cannot operate Departure."

The festival team has worked closely with local authorities in Playa Del Carmen. They stated that "with the recent severe rise in the cases of Omicron in the past few days, the Governor announced last night that Playa del Carmen is returning to yellow tier COVID restrictions and therefore we cannot continue with a show of this size as planned."

All tickets will be refunded, and Polen offered a $200 credit towards a future experience. Hotel bookings will not be affected for anyone who has already made the trip.  

The festival team went on to express, "it breaks our hearts that we can't put on the incredible experience that we had planned. For those that are already here, we sincerely hope that you can continue to enjoy the incredible location."

For more information on refunds, please contact Polen's live chat in the Pollen app or text 25931.