The Government’s decision to underwrite summer festivals this year is giving some of Otago’s big event organisers the confidence to spend millions of dollars on their shows. ‘‘Organisers of large-scale summer festivals have to make decisions now about whether to proceed as their risk window is closing,’’ Mr Nash said. Each Gibbston Valley concert since 2011 would have cost $1 million to $2 million to organise, with costs sunk well before the event, Mr Calvert said. Mr Taylor said it was great the Government had listened to the events sector’s calls for underwriting. Wanaka’s economy took an estimated $20million hit in 2020 when the Warbirds airshow was cancelled just four weeks out and 55,000 visitors stayed away.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 09, 2021 18:42 UTC