The organisers of Glitch Festival say they are "heartbroken" to announce the event will not go ahead this August due to coronavirus restrictions that they said claim are illogical.

Glitch was one of three music festivals that had set dates for the summer, in the hopes that coronavirus measures would be relaxed.

A statement published on the festival's Facebook page on Wednesday morning said they had not been given the "green light from the local authorities".

The organisers told those who had bought a ticket that they had done "everything in our power to find a safe solution to welcome you back" and that  the decision was hard to accept. However, the statement said the event will return in August 2022.

They said "promising statistics" including that Malta has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, with almost 80 per cent receiving their first vaccine dose, "should have led to a safe re-opening".

“However, the local authorities think otherwise with no logical reasons behind these decisions," it said.

It is the second summer that the festival will not go ahead.

Ticket holders can request a refund, however organisers have urged them to keep them for next year's rescheduled event.

Last week the government announced that seated events will resume on July 5 for those who are fully vaccinated.

Capacity is capped at 100 people at first, going up gradually to 200 over the course of four weeks. Events can be held both indoors and outdoors but in an enclosed area that allow organisers to control people’s entry and exit. 

Earlier in April, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that no mass events had his or Malta Tourism Authority's 'blessing' to take place. 

The organisers share the same frustration and anger as artists, who will be holding a demonstration themed  Daqshekk Siekta (Silent no more) on June 24 in St George’s Square Valletta at 7pm, in protest against the current COVID-19 restrictions, which they claim are discriminatory.