Tauranga events cancelled or postponed after decision to stay at level 2

Tauranga Musical Theatre's production of Blues Brothers: First Contact has been postponed for two weeks. Photo / Supplied

Concerts, corporate events and conferences in Tauranga are being cancelled or postponed following the decision to stay at Covid-19 alert level 2.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the country, excluding Auckland, will remain at alert level 2 until 11.59pm on August 26. Auckland will remain at level 3.

But at level 2 big events cannot go ahead due to a restriction on gatherings more than 100 people, which has left many organisers having to cancel or postpone their plans.

Hotel Armitage and Conference Centre general manager Nicolas Caffardo said since level 2 there had been many cancellations and postponements.

"As soon as we moved to level 2 on Tuesday we started to receive a lot of cancellations and postponements," he said.

"For us, it is really critical to try to work together on postponing rather than cancelling events.

"It's a bit like going back to survival mode. We just hope once August is over we get better months in the future."

Tauranga Musical Theatre's premiere production of Blues Brothers: First Contact has been postponed for two weeks.

Theatre president Jeremy Sparrow said at this stage the show was planned to open on August 28 and run until September 12.

"If alert level 2 is extended at the announcement on 21 August, we will announce our next steps in due course."

Sparrow said the theatre took the health and safety of its cast, crew and audiences seriously.

"It is important to us to ensure they come first with every decision we make, which is why we have decided postponing the entire season is the best course of action at this stage."

He said it was too early to say how the theatre's future shows may be impacted but its committee have kept updated with daily developments.

"​Like all events around New Zealand, it has been a roller-coaster ride of uncertainty.

"The reality is Covid-19 will continue to be in our lives for many months to come so the best thing we can do is ensure we have plans in place for both the short-term and long-term and as mentioned ensure our community's safety is top of mind.

"That said, we can't wait to bring this amazing show to the stage when the time is right."

People who have bought tickets to Blues Brothers: First Contact will have their tickets transferred to the new date.

Bay of Plenty Symphonia secretary Maggie Gething said they postponed their Triumph and Tribulation concert, which was scheduled on Saturday at Holy Trinity Church.

"We don't want to cancel it completely, we have worked so hard to put it together and fingers crossed we can do it later in August.

"We are obviously disappointed. We got so close," she said.

"We have had to cancel two events already this year."

The concert has been postponed until August 29 depending on what alert level is announced. "That is the only date we can do it."

Gething said their next event was set for November.

Tauranga Party Hire owner Nathan Dolman said he had a few corporate events cancel last week due to the 100-person limit on gatherings.

Dolman said the businesses had stayed closed at the weekends since lockdown but opened at the weekend to allow people to pick up items they had delayed getting until after Friday night's announcement.

He said business was usually at this time of year but "we have certainly had a few cancellations and postponements" because of the return to level 2.

"Hopefully we can stay where we are," he said. "But there is a lot of nervousness around this time."

Since lockdown, Dolmon said business had been busy and had just started to pick up again before the return to level 2.

"It's hard to know whether that was because of a backlog but we had a reasonably good July, better than expected.

"The clincher for the event industry will be if we have a good summer."