Napier’s Art Deco Festival, which usually draws tens of thousands to the region and was due to begin tomorrow, has been cancelled because of the change to Covid-19 alert levels.
Event organisers Art Deco Trust the Trust cannot said it "cannot wait another twenty-four hours for tomorrow’s Government decision on whether or not the alert levels will be extended beyond midnight Wednesday."
Chair of the Art Deco Trust, Barbara Arnott says it was a tough decision.
“We needed to give certainty to the hundreds of entertainers, artists, contractors, event venues and suppliers tonight so that they know where they stand. And for the sake of the thousands of Festivalgoers, many of whom have accommodation and travel plans booked, it was imperative we made our decision today.
The event has drawn in more than 40,000 visitors to the region in the past.
“This has been an incredibly tough decision and we have had to weigh up a huge number of factors and consider several different scenarios in the course of our deliberations. With heavy heart, we believe this is the only possible option, having already been forced to cancel two of the five days of event."
It comes after news yesterday the festival’s opening day events would be cancelled.
The event has drawn in more than 40,000 visitors to the region in the past and more than 300 events were planned for this year's festival.
“We know how much it means to so many people, from festivalgoers to our associated event organisers who have worked so hard in planning for the festival this year, and to our loyal sponsors and supporters,” Arnott said.
Ticket holders will be contacted directly by the Festival’s booking agents Ticketek or iTicket with details of the ticket refund process.
Under Level 2 guidelines, gatherings, including weddings and funerals, are limited to 100 people.
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