The impact of coronavirus on the entertainment industry is already taking a dramatic toll as we see highly anticipated events get cancelled all over the world. Now, Wide Open Space punters are in for some disappointing news.
Wide Open Space announced yesterday that its 2020 edition will be rescheduled for May 2021.
In response to recommendations of the Australian Government and health authorities, Wide Open Space will be postponed to May 2021.
In an attempt to combat the dramatic spread of coronavirus the government has placed a ban on all unnecessary events that contain crowds of over 500 people, which is bad news for most performance venues and all major music festivals. Wide Open Space opens its arms to thousands of attendees over the three-day event, which has a strong focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait performance, art and culture.
Furthermore, due to the unique nature of the festival being held in a remote area, there are concerns surrounding how the festival may impact the already strained flow of resources in the region. In a public statement about their decision to postpone Wide Open Space said:
“This decision has not been taken lightly. The WOS team has a duty of care for our crew, audience and the broader Central Australian community which we take very seriously. We understand that if we were to proceed with the event, we could be exposing many people to potential infection and this would put undue pressure on the already limited health resources available in the region. WOS brings people together from around the country and across Central Australian communities and we must take this into consideration as part of our duty of care.”
While it is a definite shame, these measures are becoming more and more necessary to stop coronavirus from impacting our most vulnerable community members. If you a ticket holder of Wide Open Space, try to make it to their rescheduled date. If you must acquire a refund, it is a great idea to put the money back into the arts in any way possible. Here’s to hoping our live performance scene will recover soon.
