This year's GLO Festival has been cancelled.
The free annual event, held on New Year's Eve, usually attracts about 15,000 people to the Village Green for a family evening of music, local talent, movies, performing arts and fireworks.
"With the end of the year just three months away, and significant uncertainty still existing around New Zealand's ability to host large events as a result of Covid-19, we were left with no choice but to cancel," the council's arts and culture manager Stewart Brown said in a statement.
"We need significant lead time to secure things like fireworks, stage, entertainers, sound and lighting, along with all the necessary event permits. Despite having now moved to alert level 1, the ongoing uncertainty means we have been unable to commit to these things."