Calendar events up in the air

A stark and sparse winter events calendar awaits people rekindling their social lives as Covid-19 uncertainty continues to cast a cloud.

Level 2 restrictions limit ticketed events to 100 people, as long as there is one-metre physical distancing, contact tracing, and good hygiene procedures.

It is not yet clear to what extent that would loosen under level 1, and how long crowd restrictions would last.

The Manawatu¯ Jazz Festival has been axed. Most concerts are off the cards until spring, when Blindspott will perform at Fly Palmy Arena in September, and rockers Like A Storm have rescheduled a show at The Royal in October.

Hunterville’s Huntaway Festival is still scheduled to go ahead in October, as is the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge in August.

The Manawatu¯ Home and Lifestyle Show has been postponed until November, and the Women’s Lifestyle Expo has moved to October.

Public relations consultant Daniel O’regan said the amount of work that went into events was massive, and it was gutwrenching for organisers forced to cancel. ‘‘Events in the future will not be the same as they are now.’’

Sponsorships could also become more difficult to secure, with big corporate bodies struggling financially after lockdown.

The Regent on Broadway has cancelled all of its events until August.

General manager Charles Forbes said they were only just discussing future bookings and did not see a problem with events proceeding from August onwards.

Manchester House Social Services Society’s annual Dancing with the Feilding Stars function won’t go ahead this winter.

Committee founder and social worker Robyn Duncan said it was a blow both for the community and fundraising efforts, but the team was already planning next year’s event.

It will go ahead in June next year.

RACE Group chief executive Alasdair Robertson said the Awapuni Race Course was going ahead with events during level 2 but its big ticket Gold Cup schedule would not be held this year.