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Concerts bite dust

Jason MennellKalgoorlie Miner
K7 Band on stage at Sunset at the Soundshell.
Camera IconK7 Band on stage at Sunset at the Soundshell. Credit: Picture: Abby Murray, Abby Murray.

Changes to WA’s health restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic have forced the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder to cancel its annual summer line-up of concerts at Centennial Park.

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder will today confirm it has decided against holding the two remaining Sunset at the Soundshell events, including the highly anticipated Eskimo Joe concert that had been scheduled for February 27.

The City said it would instead look at “a very different program” of smaller COVID-safe events.

Earlier this month, the City announced that the Battle of the Bands concert scheduled for yesterday’s Australia Day celebrations had been cancelled. That followed the City’s COVID event plan being rejected after changes made to the approval process by the WA Department of Health late last year.

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The Health Department said the changes were needed because of increased community transmission in the Eastern States, the increase in the number of cases internationally and the threat posed by the UK strain.

City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder chief executive John Walker said the restrictions made it impossible to deliver the popular concert series in a way that was safe, viable and met community expectations.

“Although this is disappointing, we are exploring options for different types of events and activities, and we appreciate the feedback and suggestions the community have been putting forward,” he said.

“Given the revised COVID event guidelines, there was no way we could have gone ahead with the concerts in a way that met community expectations.

“We’re not the only ones dealing with these restrictions, this is something that councils and event organisers across Western Australia are having to work through.”

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