Byron Writers Festival cancelled due to COVID

Paul Bibby

The organisers of Byron Writers Festival have announced the 2021 event scheduled to run 6-8 August will be cancelled due to the developing Covid-19 situation in NSW.

The following statement from Festival Director Edwina Johnson and the Byron Writers Festival Team was issued publicly today:

‘It is with a heavy heart we have made the decision to cancel Byron Writers Festival 2021, which was scheduled to run from 6-8 August. We have come to this extremely difficult decision in light of the developing Covid-19 situation in NSW as well as border and travel restrictions.

‘We have been following Covid developments in Greater Sydney and nationally very closely over the last few days. As positive cases continue to emerge and borders are closed to NSW, it has become clear that the current restrictions will push too close to the Festival to make it feasible to proceed in early August. Especially given a large portion of participating writers are located in either Greater Sydney or interstate and are subject to travel restrictions. In addition, of course, is growing community hesitancy to travel in such volatile circumstances.

‘Our primary and abiding concern is, as ever, the health of everyone involved in the Festival – presenters, attendees, volunteers, staff and of course the safety of the wider Northern Rivers community.

‘We are devastated and we’re sure everyone associated with the Festival will also feel the disappointment and loss that comes with a second year of cancellation. We will continue to watch developments and consider all viable options for future programming but for now, we believe that cancellation is the only responsible course of action.’

Those with tickets to the event you will automatically receive a refund within the next 14 days.

People who have purchased tickets to Satellite Events or Festival Workshops, are asked to be patient as organisers work through refund arrangements with event partners and venues.