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With 2022 having held out the prospect of a resurgence for the live entertainment and music industry, the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus is causing the cancellation of a range of upcoming events and festivals.

As COVID cases continue to surge across the country, the NSW Government’s reintroduction of restrictions that include a ban in singing and dancing in hospitality venues and entertainment facilities are having a huge impact on live events.

Recent days have seen new event cancellations with the Grapevine Gathering in the Hunter Valley and the Numeralla Folk Festival cancelled just days before they were due to be held.

Outdoor events were originally excluded from the public health order but late on Monday (10th January), NSW Health announced the amendment had been expanded in a move set to devastate the already crippled live music industry. 

Scheduled for this Saturday (15th January), 16,000 people had been due to attend the Grapevine Gathering.

However, in a statement posted to the Grapevine Gathering Instagram page organiser said that, despite having done all they could to comply with the rules, the festival would not go ahead.

The statement advised “we are deeply sorry this news come at the final hour. We understand many of you have had travel plants and arrangements locked in for some time.

“This is a devastating blow not only to the live music industry. But also to regional tourism. 

“A projected loss of over $5.2 million to the greater Hunter Valley region is expected from this cancellation. Over 1400 jobs are now lost across our artists, food vendors, security, production, crew ticketing staff and more who were deep in preparation for the weekend.”

Organisers told later told 9News “Grapevine Gathering NSW has had an approved COVIDsafe plan for months and we have been in constant communication with the NSW Government regarding all required safety measures.”

Scheduled to run from 28th to 30th January, the Numeralla Folk Festival in the Snowy Monaro has also been cancelled.

Advising that it was the third year that the Festival had been cancelled and expressing concern about what the future held for the event, Ann Tame from the festival committee told the ABC “the longer we don't have a festival that momentum is lost and we're losing our flow.”

Tame noted that the event, which prides itself on being Australia's last ‘free’ traditional folk festival, had found it difficult to navigate during the pandemic, adding “we decided that there may well just be too many unknowns to go ahead.

"Our festival is a non-ticketed event. So basically, we can't really say how many (will) come and go."

The changes and uncertainty around COVID-19 have forced other music festivals in NSW to postpone or cancel, including the Tamworth Country Music Festival and the Broken Heel Festival

Meanwhile, Victoria has reintroduced density limits of one person per 2 square metres at indoor hospitality venues and entertainment venues.

Speaking with The Music, Live Performance Australia Chief Executive, Evelyn Richardson said that Omicron had “plunged the industry into another abyss with shows and gigs cancelling all over the country”.

Richardson went on to say “this is our most challenging phase yet as we grapple with surging transmission, reimposition of government restrictions and consumer confidence has crashed nationally.

“Without targeted government support, the industry will struggle to ride this latest wave. The impacts are being felt across the board and the next couple of months are going to be brutal.

“The absence of a national insurance scheme is a major failure and given the uncertainty we all face over the next 12-18 months remains critical to rebuilding business and consumer confidence.

“Governments will also need to provide emergency assistance to companies to enable full reactivation of business activity when this surge stabilises plus rebuild consumer confidence.”

Images: The Grapevine Gathering in the Hunter Valley (top) and the Numeralla Folk Festival (below).

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