COVID Strikes Again: New York’s Public Theater Cancels 'Under The Radar' Festival

The New York’s Public Theater has canceled its annual "Under The Radar" Festival due to COVID-19.

New York's Public Theater is one of New York City's most popular off-Broadway theater companies. The "Under the Radar" festival was supposed to be celebrating its 18th annual festival before it was canceled due to “multiple disruptions related to the rapid community spread of the Omicron variant.”

The international festival was supposed to be held from January 12 to January 30, 2022. The Public Theater announced the news on Twitter on Friday, New Year's Eve, just ahead of the new year.

On New Year's Eve, The Public Theater shared a lengthy statement announcing the "unfortunate news" and advising ticket holders to check their email for more information.

“Thank you all for being a member of The Public Theater community and Happy New Year,” they began in a lengthy Twitter statement. “We are sharing the unfortunate news that we have decided to cancel this year’s UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL.”

“While our robust COVID-19 protocols have created a safe environment within our theaters, multiple disruptions related to the rapid community spread of the Omicron variant - including artist and staff availability, artist and audience cancellations, major flight interruptions, and visa processing delays - have prevented a viable way to move forward with presenting UNDER THE RADAR 2022.”

“This is incredibly disappointing, but we believe it is necessary given the continued surge and ongoing disruptions,” they continued. “If you are a ticket holder, expect an email from us with more info. Thank you for your understanding as we all work through the continued challenges of COVID-19 together.”

Many users were disappointed that the festival would not even be available for streaming remotely. After a fan asked, The Public Theater confirmed that this also included the production of “Seven Methods Of Killing Kylie Jenner.”

“Thank you for making this decision,” one person commented. “I hope the government steps in and helps theaters who will once again be put in an untenable position.”

“So sad to read, but if anybody is 100% for the health and well-being of staff, talent, and audience, it would be you,” another said. “We will all be better in the long run.”

Although The Public Theater had required negative COVID tests in addition to providing proof of vaccination and a booster shot, they decided to cancel the festival out of concern for the spread of the Omicron variant.

The Public Theater wasn't the only one to cancel due to COVID-19 concerns.

Earlier this week, LL Cool J revealed that he also tested positive for COVID-19 and was no longer performing at the ABC annual holiday event, “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.”

“I know it’s disappointing to the millions of fans but my test came back positive for COVID, which means I’ll no longer be able to perform as scheduled at NYRE,” LL Cool J said in a statement. “We were ready and I was really looking forward to ringing in 2022 in my hometown in a special way, but for now I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year. The best is yet to come!”

The special is getting ready to celebrate its 50th-anniversary tonight, which will again be hosted by Ryan Seacrest. This year, the show will feature its first-ever countdown in Spanish from Puerto Rico, where Daddy Yankee is scheduled to perform.