Royal Adelaide Show is cancelled, but smaller carnivals will run across Adelaide

The Royal Adelaide Show has been cancelled again – but smaller carnivals with showrides and show bags are running. And there will be other events at the Showgrounds too.

Royal Adelaide Showgrounds managers are hopeful a series of events from trade shows to music nights and markets will be able to go ahead, despite the cancellation of The Show.

The Home Show, Animal Expo, Science Alive! and Bowerbird market are among events in the site’s calendar between October and December.

Adelaide Showgrounds general manager Grant Piggott expected scheduled events to remain viable with 5000-guest maximum limits, based on current SA Health Covid-19 rules.

“My indication from conversations with SA Health is that’s probably as good as it gets (5000 people),” he said.

“For those events to go through OK we need the world to stay as good or better than it currently is. The concern will be if there’s infection in the state and we go backwards.”

Also scheduled is the SA Boating & Fishing Show and 4WD & Adventure Show, Adelaide Auto Expo and Santa’s Wonderland. The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra will also host a series of night time events in the main arena.

Phil Sims and Polly Love of Robern Menz with stacks of Menz showbags they don’t quite know what to do with after the Royal Adelaide Show was cancelled for the second year running. Picture Dean Martin

Organisers are dealing with last week’s cancellation of The Royal Adelaide Show, due to be held in September. It usually pumps $170m worth of economic activity into the state and is South Australia’s largest public event.

SA Health had advised a maximum of 5000 showgoers would be allowed amid risks posed by the pandemic.

The SA Agricultural and Horticultural Society pulled the pin, deciding that figure made the event unviable.

Royal Adelaide Show general manager Michelle Hocking said organisers still wanted to recognise the event this year, but would not host a schedule as full as last year’s Show at Home.

Royal Show general manager Michelle Hocking. Photo Tricia Watkinson

Instead, there will be online activities over five days, including sharing favourite Show moments, celebrating commercial exhibitors who would likely offer special deals, public voting in a photography contest, and a competition where entrants are asked agriculture-related questions.

“We’re doing what we can, with the focus being on unravelling what was meant to be the Royal Show but also celebrating the Show in various ways,” she said.

School-based led steer and merino sheep competitions would still go ahead, recognising students’ months of hard work.

About 90 schools are involved in those competitions.

Judges will award the winners of the grain, olive and olive oil competitions and beer and cider-making contests, as those entries are already on the showgrounds.

Westminster students Chloe and Olivia, with a steer at the school's farm. Photo Tom Huntley / The Advertiser.

The “Country Shows” fruit cake, Genoa cakes, and scones competitions will also go ahead.

Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society chief executive John Rothwell said it would take several months to assess the financial damage done by The Show’s cancellation.

“The fallout from closing The Show is massive in terms of time, follow-ups and dealing with customers,” he said.

“We’re dealing with that first, then analysing our financial situation.”

Westminster Year 11 student Thomas said: “As a team and individually, we’ve put a lot of effort into our steers so we’re pleased that we’ll get to be judged at a separate event like we were last year.”

And the show rides go on too

– Michelle Etheridge and Andrew Hough

The Royal Adelaide Show may be cancelled but revellers can still hop on rides and compete for prizes at small carnivals across the city.

Amusement operators are finding new ways to make money after the state’s biggest public event was scrapped and regional shows cancelled.

It came as SA Health overhauled rules for large events attended by more than 1000 people. Event organisers do not need SA Health-approved Covid management plans for gatherings with fewer than 1000 people, but must still have a “Covid-Safe plan” with measures to keep patrons safe.

Adelaide-based ride operators on Friday night launched the Adelaide Family Carnival, at Edwards Park, at the city end of Anzac Highway, to open over three weekends.

Carnival Fun Fest, at Elizabeth Grove, will feature show rides, sideshow games and showbags from Thursday.

The Advertiser understands another unrelated carnival is being planned for Bonython Park. Wallis Cinemas will also host carnival games at Mainline Drive-in at Gepps Cross during September.

Its carnival will be held on September 4, 5, 11 and 12, advertising that it will feature giant games, show bags, animals and face painters along with a movie.

Kids on a showride at the 2018 Royal Show. Picture: AAP / Dean Martin

Showmen’s Guild of SA secretary Phillip Hamilton said several country shows had been cancelled this year, including at Jamestown, Penola, Melrose, Balaklava and Port Elliot. “Mostly they’re worried about spending the money to run the show and it getting called off a week before, so they lose all that money,” he said.

“I think a few of the (ride) operators are getting desperate for a bit of money.”

Elwin Bell is running Adelaide Family Carnival, with about 16 rides to help operators claw back some of their income.

“We’re trying to put a but of fun back into the community and put a smile on people’s dials,” the Showmen’s Guild of Victoria president said.

Harley Smans of CSA Entertainment, is organising Carnival Fun Fest after the cancellation of country shows.

“Every day another one or two are cancelling and we’ve all got to get together to try and keep earning a living – it’s been pretty bad,” Mr Smans said.

The new SA Health management plan rules set out several levels of risk and their conditions. A low national risk allows seated events of up to 20,000 people and half that for standing gatherings, with singing and dancing permitted.

But events with a high interstate risk means plans will be “significantly limited”, with caps of 15,000 people if seated and 3000 for standing. Singing and dancing is banned.

Only outdoor events are allowed if any local community cases emerge, capped at 5000 for seating and 1000 for standing.

“Levels of Covid-19 vaccination in SA are not currently high enough to reduce the risk of rapid and extensive spread,” the rules state. “Major events with free-flowing settings are considered to be too great a risk to … the community.”

Deputy chief public health officer Dr Chris Lease said the rules helped identify risk levels ahead of a “busy event season”.

“With the highly contagious Delta variant, we know if a positive case … was to attend a major event, there is a high risk we could see cases multiply throughout the community,” he said.