CANBERRA’S New Year’s Eve event will go ahead this year but it won’t look like what it has in the past, says Chief Minister Andrew Barr. 

There will be no fireworks and there will not be a major concert in Civic square, but instead, Mr Barr says there’ll be a series of smaller events spread out across Canberra.

“These events in each of our town centres will include local musicians performing live,” he says. 

It won’t be the only event that will not take its “traditional” form due to covid, and Mr Barr says there’ll be a new format for next year’s Australia Day, too, with details to be announced shortly.

As for other major events, Mr Barr says the National Multicultural Festival will be postponed, likely until the final quarter of next year. It will also be modified in line with the public health directions that are in place at that time. 

“There will also be significant changes to the Enlighten Festival. Many elements of the festival will be able to go ahead. Notably the building illuminations, which can be delivered in a covid safe way,” he says.

“However, other aspects of the festival will have to be significantly adapted such as the food and entertainment events.

“Other Canberra events such as the Balloon Canberra Spectacular, Symphony in the Park and Canberra Day, will be reformatted so that they can proceed in a covid safe way.

“The Night Noodle Market organisers are currently considering if it will be safe, feasible or indeed appropriate to run the markets. If they do go ahead, it’s fairly clear that the format will be different from previous years.”