AusLeisure

Many of Australia’s festivals are pushing ahead with planning for events in 2021 as confidence increases in their ability to operate with to stricter health and hygiene measures.

Among the planned events, WOMADelaide is preparing to present a full-scale festival next year after appointing new co-Director Lee Cumberlidge, who will work alongside Arts Projects Australia co-founder and long-time Director Ian Scobie.

Scobie told InDaily “we’re working to present a full-scale festival next March; that’s our ambition.

“Clearly things can change … if there’s a major spike (in COVID-19 cases), then nothing can happen anywhere, but our sense is that by March next year circumstances should have advanced and improved to an extent that we can do that.”

The organisers are looking at ways to hold the festival safely including creating more open space around the park and open up entrance areas.

The festival is also delaying the first program announcement until November to give the organisers more time to assess the situation regarding international travel.

Byron Bay music festival Bluesfest is also pushing ahead with plans for 2021, with organiser Peter Noble saying they will do “whatever it takes” to create a safe event in April.

While this year’s festival was cancelled following the ban on large scale events, the organisers have tried to secure as much of the 2020 line-up for next year as they could and have already release the event’s initial bill.

Noble told the Sydney Morning Herald “when we had to cancel this year’s festival the first thing we did was contact our insurance company to check we were covered.

“The second thing we did was to go to all the artists and see if they wanted to come back.

“A large majority of the artists said they wanted to come back because they need to do what they do, which is get out there and entertain the public.”

Early bird ticket sales opened last week with more than 15,000 tickets already snapped up.

Noble added “I’m sure there will be a bunch of people who won’t want to come but there will be another bunch who want to get out and support the entertainment industry.

“I am sure there are going to be hurdles in the road, but we want to do whatever it takes to be able to put those artists on a stage and make an event that is safe for the public to return to.”

Music festival Under the Southern Stars (UTSS) is also looking to go ahead in 2021 in Wollongong. The organisers postponed this year’s event, setting new dates for February next year.

UTSS promoter Andrew McManus has partnered with TEG Live’s Geoff Jones to ask the Federal Government to use the festival as a testing ground for future live music events.

The ‘Australian Live Music And Music Festival COVIDSafe Plan’ includes strict group limits for bands travelling from overseas, Covid-19 testing at both the departure and arrival destinations, band quarantine zones, ‘military style’ transfers between Australian cities for the bands and crew, and locked hotel floors for bands and their crews.

Festival goers must also download the COVIDSafe app to attend the show, submit to temperature checks and abide by strict social distancing measures at the show, which will be capped at 70% of total capacity.

Images: WOMADelaide (top) and Bluesfest (below).

Related Articles

9th July 2020 - 2020 Darwin Festival unveils DF20 Homegrown program

5th July 2020 - Broome’s Shinju Matsuri festival celebrates 50th anniversary

1st July 2020 - Adelaide Fringe Festival delivers another record-breaking year

25th June 2020 - Arts and entertainment funding package welcomed by Live performance industry

25th June 2020 - New study highlights the value of arts festivals in reviving South Australia’s post COVID-19 tourism

22nd June 2020 - Alan Cumming announced as new Artistic Director for Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2021

12th June 2020 - Live Entertainment Industry Forum welcomes potential easing of restrictions on outdoor sport and entertainment venues

9th June 2020 - Industry stakeholders unite to restart sport and entertainment

3rd June 2020 - 2020 Impact Report confirms public value of Perth Festival

2nd June 2020 - Sydney Festival names Olivia Ansell as new Festival Director for 2022

2nd June 2020 - Eastern Riverina Arts launches PLATFORM for improved accessibility at festivals and events

21st May 2020 - FOMO music festival enters liquidation with $5 million owing

13th May 2020 - Woodford Folk Festival founder Bill Hauritz says event will survive

6th May 2020 - Falls Festival looks to 2020/21 editions with all Australian lineup

2nd April 2020 - Greater Shepparton announces return of ‘Land of Plenty’ music festival

28th March 2020 - Major entertainment promoters call for Australian Government support through Coronavirus crisis

18th March 2020 - Perth Festival supports Live Performance Australia’s call for immediate economic stimulus

12th July 2019 - Byron Bay Bluesfest names Moshtix as exclusive ticketing partner

12th February 2019 - NSW Government stance on festivals sees Byron Bay Bluesfest Director threaten to move event

16th July 2018 - Pollstar acknowledges Bluesfest as Australia’s top music festival

9th March 2018 - Womadelaide’s largest program ready to attract record crowds

1st April 2017 - Promoter Andrew McManus spared jail time in suitcase drug money case

17th August 2016 - Eventbrite research shows Australians love festivals

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.