A new three-day event and a new venue expected to please crowds

While many shows and festivals continue to be cancelled, the Royal Launceston Show has given show goers something to look forward to with some exciting news. LATEST >>

THE ROYAL Launceston Show Society has bucked the cancellation trend, not only forging ahead with this year’s show but deciding to hold a three-day event at a well-received new venue.

The agricultural drawcard was cancelled last year and in 2020 as event organisers struggled to cope with Covid-19 crowd restrictions.

But a move to Quercus Park from the Inveresk Railyards has filled the society with confidence and they will hold the show over three days rather than the one seen in 2018 and 2019.

President Dale Beams said the decision was prompted by the enormous interest in the new venue shown by the Launceston community and the business sector.

The Launceston Show. PICTURE CHRIS KIDD

“Operating over three days provides us with the opportunity to expand our entertainment and competition program giving patrons greater value for money,” Mr Beams said.

“As we lock in the various components of our royal show we will pass this information on via our Facebook page as we march toward October.”

In January, Tasmania’s agricultural show boss expressed frustration at the continued rigid Covid-19 restrictions as family-friendly drawcards started to be cancelled for a third year.

Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania president Scott Gadd said only seven of the state’s 23 regular annual shows went ahead last year and events were being cancelled again because of the state government’s “rigid” and “now irrelevant” Covid-19 restrictions.

“Three weeks into 2022 and one show (Exeter) has already been cancelled while two others (Wynyard and King Island) have been postponed in the hope they can proceed later in the year,” Mr Gadd said at the time.

Tasmania’s premier rural event, Agfest, has also been deferred as the sector waits for the rules to be relaxed