The COVID-19 coronavirus has caused many events to either be postponed or cancelled both in New Zealand and around the world.
Major events including concerts, sports events, festivals and movie releases are among those to be affected.
The Government's new rules stating that all travellers arriving in New Zealand must self-isolate for 14 days has also played a part in some event cancellations here.
Cancelled or postponed New Zealand events
- The New Zealand Festival of Arts in Wellington cancelled its final three performances that were scheduled for Sunday. All ticket holders are being informed and will receive information on how to get a refund.
- The Warbirds over Wanaka airshow was cancelled following the Government's new rules for self-isolation for every person arriving in the country. Event organisers say several thousand international visitors were expected to arrive for the event, which was scheduled for Easter weekend.
- Christchurch's Grow Ō Tautahi garden festival has been scaled back. The opening night event scheduled for Thursday which would have attracted over 250 people has been cancelled. All programme events held indoors or in marquees have also been cancelled. Exhibition gardens, the school gardens and combined community gardens are able to continue.
- The World Surf League either cancelled or postponed all global events for the remainder of March. The Piha Pro Junior and Corona Piha Pro competitions in New Zealand have been postponed, and it's unknown when they've been rescheduled to.
- My Chemical Romance's Auckland concert that was scheduled for March 25 has been postponed. Promoters say purchased tickets will be valid for the rescheduled dates, but customers can also request a refund.
- Auckland's Pasifika Festival has been cancelled after concerns were raised over the virus potentially transmitting to the Pacific Islands. Mayor Phil Goff made the decision after speaking with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the Samoan High Commissioner. It was expected to draw a massive crowd of 60,000 people at Western Springs Park over the weekend.
- Sold out New Zealand festival Homegrown was due to take place on 21 and 22 March but has now been indefinitely postponed.
Global cancellations, postponements and closures
There have been hundreds of cancelled and postponed events around the world. These include:
- Several blockbuster movies have pushed back their release dates, including the latest Fast and Furious movie, new James Bond film No Time to Die, and horror sequel A Quiet Place Part II.
- Amsterdam's Van Gogh museum and the Rijksmuseum are closed until end of March, and New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art is temporarily closing all three of its locations. The Smithsonian museums in Washington DC and New York City closed on Saturday.
- Coachella moved its two-weekend festival from April to October following concerns about spreading the virus.
- Both Spain and France have closed all "non-essential" businesses including restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and more. Essential services including petrol stations, chemists, banks and supermarkets are still open.
- Qatar has announced the closure of all cinemas, theatres, gyms, play areas and museums.
- The Wiggles have postponed the rest of their Sydney concerts of their Fun and Games tour.
- The Los Angeles Pride festival is being postponed from its June date to later in the year. It was due to be the city's 50th anniversary of the event.
- Film festivals including South by Southwest and the Tribeca Film Festival are cancelled and postponed respectively.
Still going ahead (at the moment)
Some events are still going ahead for the moment. These include:
- Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe says the country is still preparing to host the Tokyo Olympics later this year, despite a number of other global sporting events being put on hold.
- Auckland's Polyfest is still set to take place from March 18 to 21. However organisers are due to meet with government ministries to receive further recommendations.
