Melbourne Festival and last cultural venues close due to COVID-19

Melbourne Festival co-directors Hannah Fox and Gideon Obarzanek. Picture: Sarah Walker

The rebooted Melbourne Festival that was due to launch in August has been postponed until next year due to the likely continued risk of infection from COVID-19.

The international arts festival that previously was held in October was to relaunch as a “new major cultural event” under co-artistic directors Hannah Fox and Gideon Obarzanek.

Festival board and management agreed to postpone the event until 2021 after advice from the Victorian Chief Health Officer.

Arts events and institutions continue to close due to strict biosecurity measures. South Australia’s major collecting institutions are the last in the nation to close after other states moved to shut down public spaces. The Art Gallery of SA, the SA Museum and State Library of SA will close from 5pm Wednesday.

Melbourne Theatre Company has cancelled its productions through to September. Berlin, Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, The Heartbreak Choir, Fun Home and True West will be rescheduled for performance next year.

The Melbourne Festival is working with its stakeholders on future plans and says it will announce details later this year.

In a statement Fox and Obarzanek said: “As people in the business of gatherings and live experiences, it’s hard to comprehend what this global issue will mean for the way we operate, consume art and socialise.

“We are worried for the full spectrum of artists, our colleagues and the whole community and hope that some unity and new ideas can be found in mass isolation.

“It’s heartening to see the ingenuity, resourcefulness, trench humour and generosity already being exhibited by our community and we will be contributing as much as we can in all of these areas as we reshape the festival for 2021.”