On again, off again for events in region
Wellington was due to have a week of music, theatre, sport and sheep shearing but instead the next seven days are looking bleak as the city moves to alert level 2.
Several major Wellington events have been cancelled, or forced to adapt, as a result of the new restrictions, implemented following a new community case of Covid-19 in Auckland.
Cancelled events include this Sunday’s Newtown Festival, which in 2020 was one of the last mass gatherings to be held in Wellington before the country went into lockdown.
Festival director Martin Hanley said it had been a heartbreaking decision, especially as if the Government stuck to its seven-day plan, the alert level would be lifted an hour before the event was due to start.
He was hopeful it would be a postponement, rather than a cancellation, with April 11 tentatively set down as a possible alternative, although that was yet to be confirmed.
The largest open access arts festival in New Zealand, the Wellington Fringe Festival, has been forced to adapt as a result of the alert level changes, something it had experience with from last year.
Chief executive of the Creative Capital Arts Trust, Drew James, said Fringe had been planning for the possibility of running the festival, which opened last Friday, at
alert level 2. Organisers had been working closely with venues and artists, and the arts community was resilient.
‘‘What we have really found is the shows and the artists have gone into this knowing that this is a possibility, and we just hope this is only going to be for seven days.’’
James hoped the financial impact would be limited, saying it was a bespoke process trying to ensure audiences had the opportunity to see the shows and that as many people could attend each show as possible.
‘‘There is the option, if people have to cancel their ticket, of either getting a refund or donating that to the artists.’’
On the Wellington Dragon Boating website, it said its festival was set to continue, with some restrictions. Only five boats would be allowed on the water during training, with a maximum 100 paddlers per training session. Masks would be encouraged.
There will be extra cricket played in the capital but no crowds to watch it.
NZ Cricket has moved its T20 international
doubleheaders from Auckland to Wellington where they will be played on Friday without crowds. The doubleheaders planned for the Basin Reserve on Wednesday will also go ahead without crowds.
Over the hill, the third day of Wings over Wairarapa was cancelled yesterday. Air show chairman Bob Francis said the team was gutted but health and safety came first.
In a double blow for the area, annual sheep shearing event the 61st Golden Shears was also cancelled.
Hospitality NZ president for Wellington Paul Retimanu said businesses had been here before and they knew what had to be done.
The cancellation of events like the Newtown Festival and Wings over Wairarapa was disappointing, and the influx of people from out of town looking for brunch or drinks would be sorely missed, Retimanu said.
To make matters worse, locals would be staying in over the weekend rather than hitting the streets, and many central city workers would be working from home during the week.
Bars would be limited to 100 people and businesses catering for conferences would be looking to push out to March or April.
‘‘It makes the weekends look a little quieter and bleaker. But we have been here before, we have to once again look at what is in front of us.
‘‘We are a lot better off than Auckland,’’ Retimanu said.