Coronavirus crisis: Full list of southeast Queensland events cancelled
UPDATED: Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race cancelled, Palace Cinemas close from Thursday March 19, Abbey Medieval Festival slain. FULL LIST OF CANCELLATIONS, CLOSURES
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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced non-essential mass gatherings of more than 100 people will be cancelled as the coronavirus pandemic causes an unprecedented national crisis.
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Events organised by community groups, sports, concerts, businesses and restaurants across the southeast have been cancelled, postponed or have increased hygiene measures.
Here are some of the events that have been cancelled in southeast Queensland.
CANCELLED EVENTS IN SOUTHEAST QLD
ABBEY MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL
CORONAVIRUS has slain a much-loved medieval festival’s 30-year run.
The Abbey Medieval Festival including the Knighting Ceremony, the Tournament Weekend scheduled for July 11-12 and the Medieval Banquets scheduled for June 27 and July 4 have all fallen victim to the ever expanding health crisis.
“As the primary fundraiser for the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology, cancelling our much-loved annual festival for the first time in thirty years has been a difficult and challenging decision,” a festival spokesman said.
“However, we feel an early and proactive decision is both prudent and necessary.
“There is no question the health and wellbeing of our communities, patrons, reenactors, stallholders, volunteers and staff are paramount. With no clear idea of how long this pandemic and its impacts will continue, the Abbey Museum’s board of directors and management has agreed cancellation is the best approach.
“While the possibility of rescheduling the Tournament Weekend in 2020 is not an option, we are considering opportunities to host Medieval Banquets with food and entertainment at a future time to be advised.
“We do not know what the future holds but we do know from history that it is in times of great difficulty that the human spirit rises.
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“Ad astra per aspera: Through adversity to the stars.”
AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR DIRT TRACK TITLES
THE Australian junior dirt track motorcycle speedway championships scheduled for April 11-12 at Banyo have been postponed until July.
North Brisbane Junior Motorcycle Club president Joel Eaton said, “We will be conducting speedway this weekend (March 21-22) with under 500 people at the venue (Mick Doohan Raceway) and will continue to run events sub 500 in volume into the near future.”
BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
THE Brisbane Entertainment Centre has announced another three shows have been postponed or cancelled.
So Pop 2020 (April 24) has been cancelled, Iron Maiden (May 5) has been postponed until further notice, and Carl Barron (May 23) has been rescheduled to October 31.
This follows the announcement earlier in the week that Marvel Universe LIVE! (April 11-13) was cancelled and PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” (May 9) was postponed with new dates to be announced in due course.
BRISBANE TO GLADSTONE YACHT RACE
THIS year’s Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race has been cancelled.
The 72nd annual event was to start on Good Friday (April 10), however Queensland Cruising Yacht Club race director Karen Somerville said cancelling it was the most appropriate action in the interests of competitor and public safety due to the coronavirus.
“This difficult decision was not taken lightly, especially in view of the proud, unbroken yearly history of this race since 1949,” she said.
“However the B2G Race Sailing Committee had to take into consideration our major obligation, not only to conduct a safe race for our sailing community, but our obligations to eliminate risk to the general public.
“We trust that our actions, and those sacrifices made by other sporting organisations, will enable us all to look forward to normal public health conditions as soon as possible.
“QCYC looks forward to a steady return to normal life for the whole community over the months ahead and ultimately we can all look forward to seeing the 2021 race return with the usual health, spirit of competitiveness and passion and public spectacle which it generates.”
Two festivals are held to celebrate the start of the race, the Bluewater Festival in Moora Park, Shorncliffe and the Festival of Sails at Suttons Beach, Redcliffe.
The Festival of Sails was cancelled on March 16 by Moreton Bay Region Industry & Tourism, and Sandgate and Districts Chamber of Commerce is postponing the Bluewater Festival until September, with a date to be advised.
PALACE CINEMAS BRISBANE
The Petrie Terrace and Fortitude Valley Palace Cinemas will temporarily close from Thursday, March 19, after the latest recommendation from the government to limit non-essential gatherings to 100 or fewer people. The two arthouse cinemas normally attract several thousands people a week.
STATE LIBRARY CANCELS EVENTS
The State Library of Queensland has cancelled all its public events and programs as of Wednesday, March 18, and will refund any paid events. The library is still open during normal hours, including the gallery spaces, The Edge and the Business Studio. The library has increased its cleaning and sanitation schedule, with sanitisers available for public use.
PARKRUN AUSTRALIA
The country’s biggest weekly running event has been cancelled for the rest of the month amid coronavirus fears.
Parkrun Australia’s Asia Pacific Strategic Director Tim Oberg has announced the closure in a statement to ensure the global running group into the same timeframe.
“Please rest assured that we are working hard to develop our strategy so that we are able to support the health and happiness of parkrunners around the world during this difficult time,” he said
“Going forward we will update parkrunners regularly and aim to communicate important information as soon as is appropriate.”
“We very much expect closures to continue through April at least.”
BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
The Brisbane Entertainment Centre has cancelled or postponed two upcoming shows as a result of the coronavirus and is contacting organisers about rescheduling others.
ASM Global posted on the Boondall venue’s website that they were contacting promoters of concerts and organisers of events to discuss the potential to reschedule.
The show Marvel Universe LIVE! was cancelled on Tuesday. All ticket holders to the April 11-13 shows will receive a refund.
The PAW Patrol Live! “Race to the Rescue” show on May 9 has been postponed and an announcement about new dates “will be made in due course”. READ MORE
EAT STREET NORTH SHORE
Eat Street North Shore will close temporarily after this Saturday night, March 14, and will only reopen when it has the all-clear to do so.
LORD MAYOR’S SENIORS CONCERTS
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the council had decided to cancel the weekly Lord Mayor’s Seniors Concerts, which take place on a Tuesday. “We’ve decided because they are vulnerable section of our community, particularly the virus, that it’s best for managing the risk not to have those concerts go ahead for the foreseeable future,” Cr Schrinner said.
50 PLUS CLUB
The 50 Plus Club Brisbane City Hall has closed to protect the vulnerable population during the COVID-19 outbreak. All activities are cancelled and the club is not operating.
CACTUS AND SUCCULENT SOCIETY
The Cactus and Succulent Society of Queensland has cancelled its general meeting on March 30 and will review the necessity to cancel future meetings, including its annual show and plant sale in June.
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre has announced it is cancelling all performances from Friday, March 13. All affected audience members will be contacted for full refunds in the coming days.
PANIYIRI FESTIVAL OFF
Coronavirus has taken down the Paniyiri Festival. In a shock move organisers announced they were cancelling the Greek celebration to be held on May 23-24. Paniyiri is Australia’s longest-running Greek festival and the state’s largest cultural festival attracting more than 60,000 people to Musgrave Park each year. READ MORE
CMC ROCKS
CMC Rocks has confirmed that the much-anticipated festival at Willowbank will be postponed until later this year, following a press conference by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The announcement comes after the advice that mass gatherings of more than 500 people should be banned from Monday, March 16 in response to the coronavirus pandemic. READ MORE
EGGSTRAVAGANZA
The Revel Agent’s Easter Eggstravaganza to be held at D M Henderson Park at Macgregor on April 5 has been cancelled. The event, to be held for the third time, was expected to attract more than 1000 people organiser Adam Scott said. He added that they were just in the process of finalising the family fun day with jumping castle and family egg hunt but under the current circumstances they had decided not to run it this year.
PIXIES POSTPONE CONCERTS
US rock icons Pixies have postponed the remaining dates of their Australian tour over coronavirus fears. The band were due to perform in Brisbane last week.
A statement from the band released today reads:
“Out of caution for current public health concerns, Pixies are postponing the remaining Australian shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. This was an extremely difficult decision, but the wellbeing of our fans is always our top priority. Rescheduled dates for all of these shows will be announced soon. We ask that our fans retain their tickets as they will be honoured on the new dates. Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to returning to Australia.” READ MORE
JIMMY EAT WORLD
Thu 19 Mar, 2020 | The Tivoli, Brisbane
MARC REBILLET
Tue 17 Mar, 2020 | The Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
INTRODUCING NASHVILLE
Mon 23 Mar, 2020 | The Old Museum, Brisbane
QUEENSLAND BALLET POSTPONES ANNIVERSARY GALA
Queensland Ballet has announced it will postpone performances for its 60th Anniversary Gala that were to be held from March 20-28.
In a statement, it said it would finalise new dates for the celebration for later in the year by next week. Patrons will be able to receive a refund if they are unable to attend the rescheduled performances.
The organisation said it was also reviewing future performances, including its Swan Lake season in Melbourne and its young artists’ tour of Europe, with updates to come once there is more information available.
WIGGLES CONCERTS
The Queensland legs of a tour by iconic children’s band The Wiggles have been cancelled.
The group was due to arrive in Queensland next month for an extensive tour around the southeast including Brisbane, Logan, the Gold Coast and the Redlands.
GAMSAT TEST
Thousands of Australian students will have their medical dream put on hold with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) cancelling the March sitting of the Graduate Medical School Admission Test (GAMSAT) just eight days out from the test.
In an email to registered students, ACER said announced that GAMSAT would be cancelled due to “COVID-19 … evolving at a rapid pace”.
“It would not be possible to proceed with the GAMSAT exam as currently scheduled,” the email said.
The Prime Minister’s ban on non-essential gatherings of over 500 people was cited as the reason for cancellation.
GAMSAT offers a pathway to medical studies – including Bachelors of medicine, physiotherapy and dentistry – for students who were not admitted directly out of high school.
The test is held only twice each year, in March and September, with the March often being the final chance for students to gain admission to medical programs for the next calendar year.
In its email, ACER said that it would review possible alternatives and would communicate with students by March 23.
“Please do not email ACER or contact the GAMSAT office … we will directly share all relevant information with candidates,” the email said.
COSENTINO DREAMWORLD PERFORMANCES
ILLUSIONIST and escapologist Cosentino’s April performances at Dreamworld have been cancelled.
A Dreamworld spokeswoman said the decision to cancel the April 4 to April 19 performances was taken after the Australian Government’s advice against non-essential mass gatherings of more than 500 people.
“While we are disappointed to have to make this decision, our number one priority is the health and safety of our guests and team members and it is important that we follow the advice from Public Health Authorities,” she said.
“The continued day-to-day operations of Dreamworld and WhiteWater World has not been included in the advice against mass gatherings and we will continue to operate as normal for day trade.
“We will continue to closely monitor the situation by staying informed through the Public Health Authorities.”
FIRE SCIENCE FORUM
The 2020 Fire Science Forum, scheduled for next Tuesday, March 17, at the Queensland State Library in Brisbane has been postponed. A Healthy Land and Water spokeswoman said: “We believe this is in the best interests of all 300 participants, and can assure you that this decision was not taken lightly. It is our full intention to reschedule the 2020 Fire Science Forum later this calendar year, once this health crisis has passed.”
EATONS HILL HOTEL EVENTS
Some big events scheduled for the Eatons Hill Hotel for coming weeks have been postponed until later in the year or cancelled.
The hotel’s rodeo, set down for April 4, has been put off until October 31 and the Touch Bass festival has been moved from April 12 to October 17.
Comedian Arj Barker will now perform on August 21 instead of March 20.
The Wiggles’ three April 18 shows have been cancelled.
Tickets for rescheduled shows will remain valid for the new dates. Anyone seeking a refund has been advised to contact the ticket seller.
BUSHFIRE FETE
This Fire Fundraiser Fete planned for Saturday, March 21, at Gaythorne Bowls Club and the Wests Mitchelton Football Club has been cancelled. Organisers hope to hold it later in the year.
MELANOMA MARCH
Melanoma Institute Australia CEO Matthew Browne has announced all remaining Melanoma March events nationally, including the Brisbane March meant to meet at the Riverstage on Sunday, March 29. “This decision has not been made lightly, however protecting the health of our dedicated community members and their families who run and attend these events, many of whom are cancer patients, is paramount,” Mr Browne said. He said there would be full refunds for registrations, with details on the process released shortly.
WOODFORDIA CANCELS THE PLANTING 2020 FESTIVAL
The annual three-day Planting Festival, at Woodfordia, near Woodford has been cancelled due the current coronavirus crisis.
It was to have on May 1-3 and organisers had said refunds for tickets will be organised.
The Planting is a celebration of cultural expression through music, dance, art and folk lore and nurturing of forested parkland through tree planting.
COLLIERS CANCEL CHARITY LUNCH
Colliers International has cancelled its annual Queensland Charity Lunch for next Friday because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Colliers state chief executive Simon Beirne said the “difficult decision” to cancel the 11th annual lunch at Blackbird Bar & Grill on March 20 was taken after advice from the agency’s Risk Management Committee and coronavirus Response Team.
“We are disappointed … however, we will always prioritise the safety of our people, our clients and the community, and this is a clear case of doing what’s right,” he said.
Comedian Jimeoin was to headline the event and money raised would have gone to the Salvation Army Disaster Appeal and Property Industry Foundation.
Since the event started it has raised $800,000.
– CHRISTOPHER HERDE, Prime Site editor
TAFE QUEENSLAND HARMONY DAY FESTIVAL
Harmony Day Festival at Inala Campus, 54 Thrush St, Inala on Tuesday, March 31, has been cancelled.
LIONS CLUB EVENT CHANGES
The Lions Club of Brisbane MacGregor has cancelled its annual Health and Wellbeing Expo for seniors which was meant to be held on May 13.
MacGregor Lions Club Harmony Day celebrations planned for March 21 at the Mt Gravatt Community Centre has also been cancelled.
JINDALEE STATE SCHOOL P@C PROM NIGHT
Fundraiser for the school on Saturday, March 21, has been postponed.
FIJI SENIOR CITIZENS LUNCH
Fiji Senior Citizens Association lunch involving 40 different ethnic communities planned for March 21 has been cancelled.
JINDALEE NEIGHBOUR DAY
A major community event, the Jindalee Neighbour Day being planned by the 4074 Community & Beyond, Brisbane City Council and Queensland Police for March 29 has been cancelled.
IGNITE COMMUNITY CHOIR
The choir’s March 28 Choral Classics Concert at the Baptist City Tabernacle has been cancelled.
GIRL GUIDES
Girl Guides Queensland has cancelled all meetings, camps and other person-to-person activities.
NETBALL
Western Districts Netball Association, based at Graceville, has cancelled its first three matches of the season on March 21, 28 and April 4.
Downey Park netball matches on March 28 and April 4, the first two of te season, have also been cancelled.
FARMERS MARKETS
Goodwill Projects, which runs Nundah, Carseldine, Milton, Brisbane City, Kuraby and Redcliffe markets, says it has had confirmation from federal LNP MP for Brisbane, Trevor Evans, on the weekend that markets are exempt from the rules governing mass gatherings as they are considered essential.
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
The Rocky Horror floorshow and movie that was to be held at the University of Queensland, St Lucia, on March 27 has been cancelled.
WELCOME TO REDCLIFFE DINNER
The Welcome to Redcliffe dinner has been postponed due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The event, held by Encircle, was scheduled for March 26 at the Pilpel Restaurant.
A future date has not yet been determined.
AUSTRALIAN JUNIOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The event, scheduled for Sydney’s Olympic precinct, has been cancelled.
AUSTRALIAN SENIOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The event, which was scheduled for Sydney’s Olympic precinct, has been postponed to a date to be determined.
WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL BRISBANE 2020 (MARCH 25-29)
The event has been cancelled.
THE 2020 CYCLING AUSTRALIA JUNIOR TRACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
This event has been cancelled while the Elite and Under 19 Track National
Championships have been postponed to a date to be determined. Both events were to have been held in Brisbane.
Originally published as Coronavirus crisis: Full list of southeast Queensland events cancelled
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