'Relief And Pleasure' That Big Events Can Return

While news that restrictions on events will soon end has been welcomed by the events sector, there's a warning that 'it's no magic wand for the industry.'

From Thursday 26 August - nightclubs can fully reopen with dancing, stand-up drinking in pubs and bars will return, and large festivals can take place subject to risk assessments.

That means large shows such as the Jersey Air Display, Out There Festival, and Electric Park are set to go ahead.

The Air Display is scheduled for 9 September and is set to include aircraft such as the Red Arrows, Spitfires, RAF Typhoon, and Swedish air force flights.

Organiser Mike Higgins says it was a mixture of relief and pleasure to see that restrictions will be lifted later this month.

"We've all been waiting for events to open up for quite some time. With our event being late in the season, it's just worked right for us.

"We've been working on aircraft to come to the Air Display for many, many years now and one of them, we're hoping, is going to come to fruition in the near future.

"You have to keep on planning, you have to get all your team organised and have it all ready, but in the back of your mind, you've always got the thought that it may all come to nothing and it'll be cancelled.

"We're now relieved with the announcement that the government has made and we're quite convinced that the display will go ahead."

The Starlings' Aerobatic Team, the B-17, a Mustang, and a Spitfire from Rolls Royce will also be on show, with more set to be announced in the coming weeks.

The news was also welcomed by the organisers of the Electric Park festival on social media.

The Out There Festival has already been moved back twice to try and give it the best chance of going ahead.

Simon Gasston says it would be fantastic to put on a big show to mark the end of restrictions.

"I think the want and the desire from the Jersey public to attend a large-scale event is definitely there.

"We've all been starved for too long, so fingers crossed that one can go ahead."

Mr. Gasston is also the managing director of Delta Events, which has also been hit hard by the pandemic.

Their warehouses in Jersey and Guernsey were lit red last summer to highlight the difficulties the performance industries were facing because of lockdown.

He says while it's positive that the final COVID restrictions will soon be lifted, the effect probably won't be seen for a while yet.

"I'm very very pleased for the areas of the sector and the industry that can open their doors on the 26th and people will come in - pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, etc.

"But unfortunately for the events industry, events take a long time to manage, plan, and organise so I do think it will be at least another two to three months from that date before the industry starts to see any signs of recovery.

"From a personal point of view, this morning at Delta, we've already had events cancelled for October and November and that's after the announcement was made."

Many events firms have asked for the co-funded payroll scheme to be extended into next year to give them the security of getting through the quieter winter months after the summer season was essentially wiped out again.

Speaking in this week's media briefing, Economic Development Minister Senator Lyndon Farnham said Ministers will always strive to provide the support that's needed to keep these important businesses going.

"Now if that means we have to extend payroll for the events sector in some form through the winter, then we will do it, but we're going to have to have conversations with the sector, we're going to have to see how we get on post-August 26."