Darwin Festival likely to go ahead this year, as hopes hang on local talent

DARWIN Festival looks likely to go ahead this year with local performers, as organisers workshop how to make the event viable during the coronavirus crisis.

Blanc de Blanc aerialists perform at a past Darwin Festival. Picture: Glenn Campbell

DARWIN Festival looks likely to go ahead this year with local performers, as organisers workshop how to make the event viable during the coronavirus crisis.

Artistic director Felix Preval said organisers hoped to make an announcement in the coming weeks about if and how the 41st festival would occur.

“We are planning for a range of possible scenarios for the festival in August,” he said.

“It definitely won’t be a normal year for the festival – or anyone – but we’re really hoping to make something great for the people of Darwin.

“Darwin Festival is a highlight of the dry season and we know our audience is keen for the festival to happen this year, which is why we’ve been working so hard to find a viable model in this uncertain time.”

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With interstate and international travel restrictions unlikely to be lifted soon, Mr Preval said it would give the festival an opportunity to continue celebrating local talent.

“Darwin Festival has always been an important platform for local artists,” he said.

“With the current travel restrictions, this seems likely to be even more of a focus in 2020.”

Mr Preval said the Darwin Festival team was monitoring the coronavirus pandemic and taking guidance from the Australian Department of Health, NT Health and the Territory Government.

“We hope to make an announcement in the coming weeks,” he said.

In March, Festival chair Ian Kew also told the Sunday Territorian organisers needed to “sit down and think about it”.

Darwin Festival had a record-breaking year in 2019 with more than 110,000 people attending the 18-day event.

The program featured 609 performers, with 306 from the Territory.

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At the end of last year’s festival, former chief executive Emily Mann revealed an unprecedented 50,436 of 57,000 tickets had been sold.

“(This) just doesn’t happen at any festival around the country,” she said.

“We had … 107 out of 165 ticketed performances sold out across the board – it’s record numbers.”