COVID-19 forces ticketing changes to Sydney’s Royal Easter Show

This year, Royal Easter Show attendees will need to choose which of the 12 days they will attend and box office ticket sales will be scrapped under COVID regulations. Have your say.

The Royal Easter Show will go ahead but only thanks to a raft of changes including reduced crowd numbers and social-distancing in the pavilions.

But Show general manager Murray Wilton said: “You won’t notice anything different when you walk through the front gate.”

“It will very much be the Easter show everyone loves.”

However, you can’t just turn up at the gate as in previous years. Tickets will be sold exclusively online so families don’t turn up at the gate only to be disappointed because the venue is at capacity.

Attendees will also have to nominate which day they will go along, as opposed to previous years when a ticket would guarantee entry on any one of the 12 days.

Horse breeder Jackie Long’s grandsons Zayne, 8, and Elijah, 12 with champion miniature horse, Oreo. Picture: David Swift.

The online ticketing method will allow organisers to collect personal information to assist contact tracing.
The size of daily crowd limits will not be decided until closer to opening day on April 1 to account for the latest COVID-19 community transmissions and associated restrictions.
“While we are all working full steam ahead towards April 1, we are very mindful and conscious of how quickly the landscape could change,” Mr Wilton said.
“We will have to limit the number of people who can access the Easter Show every day to adhere to health requirements.
“Depending on what the caps will be like, you will know if there’s tickets available or sold out.”

There is likely to be fewer food trucks to ensure social distancing, but organisers are intent on retaining every attraction.

Pavilions previously used for storage and logistics will be opened to the public to make space for longer queues so people waiting to see attractions can keep 1.5 metres apart. Aisles in the pavilions will be widened. There will be handwashing stations at the entry and exit to the farmyard nursery.

Show organisers have negotiated a fluid plan with health officials that will allow for one guest per two square metres outdoors and one guest per four square metres indoors, but social distancing arrangements will not be finalised until mid-March.

Mackenzie White, 9, and her sister Taitum, 2, at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Picture: David Swift

The Easter Show was cancelled last year, meaning there can again be selfies with alpacas this year. Picture: Gabriella Brierley

Pony breeder Jackie Long is champing at the bit to get back to the Sydney Royal Easter Show after it was cancelled in 2020 for the first time in 50 years.
The veteran breeder’s five-year-old miniature pony is already doing hill sprints to get in shape for its three competitions, “best presented pony“, ”junior handler pony” and ”miniature pony gelding”.
“The Sydney Royal is the best competition. It means a lot to me and always has,” Ms Long said.
“It was disappointing to miss last year but it had to be done.
“This year will obviously be different but I know everyone will do their best to make it safe.”

Originally published as COVID-19 forces ticketing changes to Sydney’s Royal Easter Show