It just wasn’t meant to be.

Design Pop, Cork’s newest festival of food and design, has been cancelled this year after new restrictions made many of the planned attractions impossible.

The three-day event, which was scheduled to take place next week from August 28th to August 30th, had been called off earlier this summer, but was briefly back on the cards after carefully planned social distancing guidelines were put in place based on the previous government guidelines.

“With the confusion and conflicting information from the Government and the fact that the festival HQ, Thompson House at MacCurtain Street, is not deemed to be a gallery, theatre, or cinema, we have come to the really difficult decision to cancel the event.” Festival Director Amy McKeogh told Yay Cork.

Three pop-up pavilions supporting designers and local food producers, an Irish Design Shop, exhibition, a furniture-designer showcase, and discussions from special guests MASER, WhyDesign Founder Kim Mackenzie-Doyle and over 16 free talks and workshops have now been called off.

‘Ticket holders will be refunded’

“Design POP is about creativity, interaction, and brings joy to the public realm and under the current government restrictions, we would not be able to do so.

“The outdoor pavilions are about fun, engagement and design, and with the number of people reduced to 15 people, I feel it becomes more about restrictions and less about the intentions of the festival,” McKeogh added.

“I would like to extend a huge thank you to all designers, food producers, sponsors, speakers and makers who have already invested so much of their time and energy in the making of this event over the past few months. All ticket holders will be refunded their money in the coming days.”

The Design POP team is already making plans and gearing up to make our 2021 festival bigger and better.