Brighton Show organisers reassure punters that event will go ahead in 2024

A popular semirural show will go ahead as planned later this year. However, it’s not all smooth sailing with organisers admitting they’re facing several issues in the lead-up. Find out why.

Brighton Tasmania on Sunday 12th November 2023. Big queues for the Showbags at the Brighton Show. Picture: Linda Higginson

Challenges such as a lack of volunteers and drought conditions will not stop the Brighton Show from going ahead in 2024.

The confirmation comes amid the recent announcement that the Royal Launceston Show will not be held this year after the last two editions incurred “unsustainable financial losses”.

In the wake of the news, Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania CEO Scott Gadd said that the show model was “broken” and needed a reinvention.

The Brighton Show was first held on the outskirts of Hobart in 1946, and organisers have assured the public that this year’s event will occur despite challenges.

“We’ve kept our costs for the punters down to what they have been for the last few years; we haven’t raised them,” Brighton Show Society President Geoff Jackson said.

“It’s been a bit of a challenge, though.

“Everything’s going up; insurance are going up, and people want to come and do things for free.

“It’s getting harder.”

Brighton Tasmania on Sunday 12th November 2023. Brighton Show was a winner with crowds. Picture: Linda Higginson

While the show society had enough volunteers, Mr Jackson said it was at the bare minimum.

“Everyone who runs the show is a volunteer. We’ve got a committee of 15, and everyone’s got a job to do,” he said.

“If you lose a couple of those volunteers, it suddenly becomes very hard again. It’s not only financial things that can create problems; a lot are volunteer-related as well.

“Some of the other little, smaller shows are finding volunteers hard to get.”

Even though the Brighton Show does not take place until November, there were concerns that the dry conditions across Tasmania over the last year would impact the agricultural exhibitions at the 2024 event.

“If there’s no grass growth between now and November, people aren’t going to show their sheep, cattle and goats because they’re just not in the condition to be shown,” Mr Jackson said.

“We have quite a big contingent of sheep and goats, and people come along to look at those sorts of things; it doesn’t cost them to walk through the animal nursery.

“It’s quite a big thing, and that is a worry because if conditions don’t change, the number of people showing their animals will be down.”

However, he remained optimistic, calling the event “the best little country show around”.

“We’re 15 minutes from the city, even though we do class ourselves as a country show.

“We try to offer a glimpse of the rural life.”

Originally published as Brighton Show organisers reassure punters that event will go ahead in 2024