Victoria's two regional White Night festivals have been cancelled for 2021 as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on Australia's arts industry. White Night Geelong and White Night Bendigo will not run as planned in 2021, with the regional arts events being postponed until 2022.
The two festivals were slated to run in spring 2021, with White Night Bendigo planned for October 2 and White Night Geelong on November 6. New 2022 dates for the events have yet to be announced.
The state's official tourism body, Visit Victoria, says that the decision to postpone will give artists, suppliers and local communities some certainty moving forward, and cements Visit Victoria's commitment to White Night. The organisation is working with regional partners to ensure White Night occurs in 2022.
The postponement of White Night Geelong and Bendigo follows the cancellation of the inaugural Rising festival, the postponement the rest of the Australian Ballet's 2021 Melbourne season, and the cancellation of the first four weeks of Moulin Rouge! The Musical (with the spectacular production ready to open as soon as possible).