Oamaru music festival victim of virus

This year's edition of Oamaru's eagerly-awaited Harbour Street Jazz & Blues Festival has had to be cancelled because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The festival has become an annual event each Otago anniversary weekend, filling Oamaru with lots of free performances from local, national, and international acts.

• Gatherings of more than 500 'should be cancelled'
• Dunedin events postponed

Co-ordinator Paula Gray said it was ‘‘such a gutting situation, but we have a social responsibility’’.

That made the cancellation inevitable, Mrs Gray said.

The festival could not be postponed, because no-one knew when it could be held in the future, she said.

Instead, the committee would work towards next year’s festival. Some of its plans could be carried forward, and the international performers were still keen to be involved, Mrs Gray said.

Mrs Gray said the organising committee, all of whom were volunteers, appreciated the ‘‘amazing’’ support from Oamaru.