No matter how carefully you plan, you can’t expect the unexpected. Sometimes things don’t work out the way you hoped, and cancelling an event is the best option. But how do you do it professionally?

While having to announce an event cancellation can feel like a disaster all by itself, it doesn’t have to be. Clear communication with all your attendees, vendors, and the venue is key. Although people may be disappointed, explaining why you’ve had to make the decision (and what will happen instead) will help to smooth things over and keep attendees interested in future events.

In this guide, we’ve pulled together lots of tips on how to gracefully cancel an event. Find out the most common reasons that can cause the date of an event to change, and discover suitable wording to use if you need to inform your guests with our event cancellation email template.

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Reasons why you might need to cancel an event

How to cancel an event gracefully

Event cancellation email template

Reasons why you might need to cancel an event

From unexpected bad weather to clashes with competition, there are plenty of reasons you might consider cancelling an event. You may be able to rearrange or restructure your event to fit around a change in circumstances. Whether or not that’s possible depends on the details of your event — big last-minute changes can make it difficult to postpone and going virtual may take lots of forward planning. We’ve identified some of the most common reasons events are cancelled:

Weather complications

No matter how carefully you plan your event, you can’t book the perfect weather. If wet weather covers your venue in knee-deep mud, or if snow and ice stop vendors or attendees from getting to you, sometimes cancelling is the safest option. Keep an eye on the forecast in the days before to your event — even if everything seems fine to begin with, if conditions are predicted to get worse, you may need to be able to make a quick decision.

Low attendance

Low attendance can be a tough call to make — it can be tempting to hope more people will show up on the day. But if it’s looking unlikely that you’ll meet the minimum needed for your event to work, cancellation is worth considering. There are lots of reasons for low attendance; does your event clash with something else similar? Is there something big happening locally, like a football game? Is your venue hard to get to for your target audience? Sometimes these issues are beyond your control.

Pandemic complications

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that even the best-laid event plans can be knocked off course. Whether there’s a change in restrictions or you get hit by a sudden wave of sickness among staff or vendors, COVID-19 and other fast-spreading diseases can cause complications. Prioritize the safety of attendees and staff with our guide to event safety.

Venue complications

The venue is critical to any in-person event and even livestreams too (think virtual concerts). No matter why the venue cancels — double-booking or an emergency like broken facilities — you often can’t proceed with your event without it. Sometimes it’s possible to find a last-minute alternative, but this isn’t always the case.

Internal complications

If your event needs a specific license to run as planned — for alcohol sales or hosting late-night performances, for example — not having this granted on time could be a dealbreaker. Key vendors, performers or services pulling out of the event could also mean you can’t go ahead.

How to cancel an event gracefully

1. Stop taking sales

First things first, stop taking sales and pause advertising. Remove the option to register for the event or to purchase tickets while you plan and deliver your cancellation announcement.

2. Communicate with your attendees

How do you pull out of an event politely? There’s no strict timeline for how far in advance of an event’s date you should inform attendees about a cancellation, but it’s polite to let them know as soon as possible after you’ve made the decision. Ideally, this will be at least 24 hours before the event. If you can give longer notice — a week, a month — all the better.

Make a list of all the ways you’ll spread the word. Send your attendees an email via Eventbrite using our template, post on social media and, if possible, give attendees a call. It’s your responsibility to get this critical information to everyone, so you might want to include a quick survey inviting a response to confirm they’ve received and read it. Not only can this build attendees’ trust in you, but it may also pave the way for a long-lasting relationship.

If your event is postponed rather than cancelled, send out an “event rescheduled” announcement with a concrete date and venue in place so that attendees can save the date. The wording for postponing an event is critical, so make sure you strike a balance between an informative and understanding tone of voice.

3. Issue full refunds

If the event is cancelled, issue full refunds to all attendees. Let them know that you’re going to do this as soon as possible, ideally in the initial announcement email. Reassuring your attendees that they’ll receive a refund helps to build their trust. If you need to collect card details or other information to process refunds, clearly explain what you need from them and how (e.g. via a survey) and give them a reasonable timeframe to provide it.

If you’re rescheduling the event, explain to attendees what that means for their tickets. Are you going to directly transfer their old tickets to the new date? Or will you refund everyone and offer them priority booking for the rescheduled event? Be sure to refund anyone who can’t make the replacement event.

4. Reflect and assess

Take a look at the cancellation process and ensure you’ve covered all bases. Check that you’ve communicated with all your attendees, vendors, performers and the venue.

Feedback from your attendees and vendors can still be helpful at this stage. Consider asking your attendees whether they’d attend a similar or rescheduled event. If you cancel due to low numbers, try to find out what would bring in more attendees. Check with vendors and performers to see if they would change anything. Asking for feedback even when things didn’t go to plan can help to build valuable trust in your brand.

Event cancellation email template

It can be hard to find the right wording to cancel an event. You’re probably feeling disappointed — and others will be too. Ensure your cancellation email is reassuring and informative, so as not to leave attendees in the dark about what’s happening. But how do you write a cancellation notice for an event? Our template below can help:

Subject line: Make sure attendees can see at a glance which event this email is about.

Greeting: Tailor this to your attendees. “Dear athletes” or “To our fans” could work well for a fun run or a concert, whereas “Dear attendees” sets a more formal tone suited to a conference.

Email body: Start by telling your audience that the event is cancelled. Let them know why. There’s no need to break down the fine details of your decision, but they’ll feel better knowing there’s a good reason. Explain how refunds or exchanges will work, or let them know when you’ll be able to give them that information. Try to address any questions your attendees might have — for example, what’s happening with merchandise preorders, or how to rebook. Lastly, make sure they know who to contact if they have more questions.

Cancelling can be difficult

There are many reasons you might need to cancel an event — all of them can feel like a difficult choice. Whether it’s inclement weather, issues with the venue, or an unexpected problem, sometimes calling it off is the right thing to do.

Cancelling or postponing an event means letting everyone know what’s changed and why. Getting it right can help you maintain a strong brand and community. Check out our email template to help deliver the news in the best possible way.