As the list of major music events getting cancelled or postponed due to Coronavirus continues to grow, Live Performance Australia says they’re “paying very close attention to the evolving situation”.
The peak music body has released an official statement following the shock cancellation of Tasmania’s Dark Mofo today, indicating the advice of the Commonwealth’s Chief Medical Officer is that there is “no material risk associated with attending a public gathering”.
Chief Executive Evelyn Richardson elaborated: “Obviously, people who have been in COVID-19 affected countries, or have had contact with a confirmed case or are unwell should stay away from public gatherings, but otherwise it should be safe to attend.
“We’ll continue to follow that advice, any many of our live performance events are proceeding on that basis, including upcoming festivals such as Bluesfest.
“If and when the official advice changes, we will work closely with health authorities to respond to their advice,” she continued, while acknowledging the recent cancellations of big ticket events both in Australia and abroad, including Dark Mofo, Coachella and SXSW.
“Each promoter or event organiser will need to make a decision on their event and circumstances and we respect those decisions, although we will always start from the position of what the official health advice says,” Richardson said.
“It remains safe to attend a live performance, and I encourage all Australians to continue to make the most of our dynamic, diverse and vibrant live performance sector.”
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