Update (4.32 pm) Wellington's CubaDupa street festival has been cancelled. Organisers have said they are fully supportive of taking drastic measures to lessen the impact of the virus.
"In the name of public health and safety, and flattening the potential epidemic curve, going dark and keeping audiences and artists safe seems like the right policy."
Organisers of Auckland's Polyfest made the call earlier this afternoon to cancel this year's festival, after the Prime Minister laid out the government's guidelines on large, unseated gatherings.
In a press release, Greg Pierce from the Polyfest Trust said they're mindful of the disappointment of school groups who won't get to perform, but the health of students is paramount.
“We are currently looking at alternative options for assessing students performances, and will communicate this with schools once a decision has been reached,” Pierce said.
Wellington’s waterfront music festival Homegrown has announced it will not be running this weekend, following the Prime Minister’s announcement that large gatherings would likely be cancelled as part of attempts to slow the spread of Covid-19. Organisers of Homegrown posted a message on their facebook page this morning:
Other Festivals:
The Auckland Arts festival, which started this weekend, has already had to pull the plug on many of their international shows, as the performers would be in self-isolation.
Local musicians cancel tours:
New Zealand musicians, venue owners, promoters and others in the industry will be hit hard financially by cancellations.
Fat Freddy’s Drop arrived in Germany on March 8th, anticipating a 25 date tour throughout Europe that would go through until mid-May. The eight-piece band played one concert before their shows were cancelled.
They are returning home, and say they will hunker down in their Lyall Bay studio for two weeks, using the enforced self-isolation as a recording opportunity.
The band have a large and loyal fanbase in Europe, and this will be a huge financial hit for them.
Thirteen New Zealand acts were scheduled to play at South by Southwest (SXSW), a huge music industry conference in Austin, Texas. Acts including Nadia Reid, Tami Neilson, and Yumi Zouma, who've all released albums in the last few weeks, could have greatly benefited from the international meetings and showcases that SXSW facilitates.
Both Nadia Reid and Tami Neilson have also had to cancel their European tours.
Nadia Reid posted a message to fans this morning on her Facebook page:
Tami Neilson has also posted a message to fans:
Lawrence Arabia and Tiny Ruins have also cancelled tours.
