The City of Cockburn has made the difficult decision to cancel its award-winning Coogee Live two-day festival for 2022.
The decision is due to the evolving COVID-19 situation, its growing risks and related uncertainty, while also seeking to protect and support festival stakeholders, partners and local businesses.
The event, originally set down for 12-13 March, will be replaced with a series of small, fun online celebrations.
City of Cockburn Mayor Logan Howlett said the decision was extremely difficult, but having weighed up the risks the City believed it was the most common-sense approach.
“The City’s top priority remains the safety and wellbeing of residents and staff,” Mayor Howlett said.
“Due to the growing Cockburn cluster of COVID cases and the prospect of the WA border re-opening at some point in the near future, there is currently a great deal of uncertainty around major events in Western Australia.
“Holding Coogee Live as a single large-scale event requires a large investment from the City and from the local businesses who supply the event.
“The prospect of last-minute cancellation or a low turn-out due to restrictions – after a great deal of time, effort and funding has already been committed – would be a worst-case scenario for everyone involved.
“This decision removes that risk of a potential super spreader event and allows the festival to continue in a different, but much safer and more secure form.
“The City will soon announce when the smaller Coogee Live online events will take place.”
The City’s Cockburn Community Concert (19 Feb) will continue as planned, unless circumstances change.
Enhanced COVID safety protocols will be in place, including:
- More available hand sanitizer
- Extra cleaning
- More available SafeWA QR Codes.