Residents will have to enter a ballot to attend Civic Park Carols in December

South Australia’s largest Christmas carols will be restricted to just a quarter of its traditional attendance under a new ballot system.

Tea Tree Gully Council’s annual Civic Park Carols traditionally draws over 40,000 people each year. Picture: Tea Tree Gully Council

The state’s largest Christmas carol event will be restricted to just 10,000 attendees under a ballot system still being finalised by the local council.

Civic Park Carols in Modbury traditionally attracts over 40,000 people every December.

However, Tea Tree Gully Council has been forced to reduce capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions for the second year running and a private company will run the ballot for lucky attendees.

Eighty per cent of people who successfully register for tickets must be from within the council area.

However, each ballot winner can claim an additional four tickets and there are no restrictions on where those attendees live.

The remaining 20 per cent of people who successfully register can be from outside the area.

Those lucky residents will also be able to claim a maximum of four additional tickets.

Guy Sebastian performed at the 2019 Civic Park Carols. Picture: Tea Tree Gully Council

However, deputy Mayor Lucas Jones has stressed to The Messenger the system remained a work in progress and some elements could change following discussions with SA Health and the company which runs the poll.

He said “we will have a mechanism in place to ensure those of the 80 per cent who successfully register are local people”.

“2021 has yet again been a tough year for so many in our community so we are delighted to have the opportunity to give something back and help celebrate Christmas together,” Mayor Jones said.

“It is the biggest carols event in South Australia and the third biggest in the country and we are incredibly excited that carols will return after last year’s in-person event was cancelled due to Covid.

“And just as importantly we will be live-streaming the show similar to like we did last year which got a fantastic reception.”

Mayor Jones said further information about the ballot would be available closer to the event and the council was also still working with SA Health on its Covid management plan.