Australia first place globally to host two music festivals during coronavirus pandemic
A world-first COVID-safe event planned for next month is a further sign Australia is escaping the clutches of the deadly coronavirus.
Australia is leading the world in its response to the coronavirus with not one but two music festivals scheduled next month.
Tropical North Queensland will be the first place globally to host a COVID-safe country music festival with the Savannah Summer Series landing in Cairns and Mareeba from October 1-2.
Event goers will see artists Lee Kernaghan, Casey Barnes, The Buckleys, SaltbushSix, The Roadtrippers, The Ayres Rockettes and Camille Trail live on stage.
Day one of the event at Salt House in Cairns will have allocated table and chair seating as well as high chair seating arrangements and a standing area.
The second day at Mareeba Rodeo Grounds in Mareeba will have its mosh pit replaced with allocated table and chair seating, general admission pod allocation and grandstand reserved seating.
Festival organisers say they worked with health authorities to deliver the unique live music experience.
With regulation around social distancing slowly relaxing, Sound Australia’s James Dein said it was important to the industry and to the local economy to “keep the music playing”.
“Savannah in the Round was always conceived as an event to bring the Tropical North Queensland community together as well as drive interstate tourism and shine a light on the amazing talent this country has to offer,” Mr Dein said.
“It’s never been a more important time to deliver on that goal, and we couldn’t be happier to be hosting the first COVID-safe country music festival in the entire world right here in Tropical North Queensland this summer”.
Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the festival could not have come at a better time.
“Major events like this pump millions of dollars into the local economy and support local jobs,” Ms Jones said.
“Because Queenslanders have done such a great job fighting COVID-19, we can now start welcoming tourists back to our state.”
Savannah Summer Series was organised after the Savannah In The Round festival was postponed.
The news comes after a Western Australian concert promoter organised a world-first COVID-safe music festival layout that will have a rotating “turntable stage” to a crowd 5000.
The Good Day Sunshine Festival – to be held in Barnard Park in Busselton on October 31 – will allow groups of about 1250 people in a quadrant.
Headline acts include John Butler and Xavier Rudd.
“The idea behind it was about mitigating the spread, if there was to be someone with COVID-19 at the event,” promoter Ross Macpherson said.
“The four separate areas will each have all of their own facilities and their own staff, so there’s no staff moving between the areas.”
Tickets for both events can be purchased via the festival websites.
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