The organizing committee plans that artists scheduled to perform at this year's event will now be rescheduled for next year. Next year's event will also feature the main theme song that was to be presented this year.
Regarding the reasons for cancellation, Dwango and Nippon Cultural Broadcasting had reported in May that they would be prioritizing the safety of attendees, staff and artists at the concerts, and that, in light of the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic, They made the decision to postpone everything. Organizers noted that this event is the largest music festival in Japan with 147 artists in 60 different performances, such as Eir Aoi, Sukima Switch, Angela, GRANRODEO, and Hiroko Moriguchi, this year. The staff added that it would have been too complicated to accommodate 80,000 attendees and comply with the “Three Cs” (closed spaces, crowds, and contact rules), related to the prevention measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Animelo Summer Live
Animelo Summer Live, abbreviated as “Anisama,” is the largest annual anime music festival in all of Japan, and is sponsored by Dwango and the Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. The event has been held without fail every summer since 2005.
During the event, singers and voice actors who specialize in singing anime or video game songs participate on stage, however, they also present new singles. Interpreters do not necessarily have to be signed to a certain recording seal. The Animelo Summer Live features different main musical themes each year, which is sung by all the invited artists at the end of the last concert.
Due to various issues related to copyright or artist contracts, some performances belonging to certain companies are not included in Blu-ray / DVD format deliveries. This greatly influenced the absence of a home launch in 2005. Finally, this year's edition is scheduled to take place between August 28-30, at the Saitama Super Arena.
Sources: Animelo Summer Live's official website, Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web
© Dwango © Nippon Cultural Broadcasting
