Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants ditches live event to stream awards ceremony online

Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants is the latest high-profile event to cancel its live awards ceremony opting instead to live-stream online only.

Due to take place in Japan on March 24, the organisers said they have made the reluctant decision after consultation with the Saga Prefecture.

“After consultation with the governor of Saga prefecture, 50 Best feels it has no alternative but to reformat the awards ceremony and related events on this occasion,” they said in a statement.

The 2020 ceremony would have been the first time the awards were held in Japan.

“This is an extremely difficult decision for us, as we very much wanted to support the restaurant industry across Asia, which has suffered from the side-effects of the coronavirus situation in recent weeks,” said Charles Reed, CEO of William Reed, the company behind 50 Best.

“However, it has become clear… it would not be responsible to stage our events as planned.”

Sheridan Randall, 28^th February 2020