Jessica Micallef
Sunbury’s popular SunFest, which attracts up to 35,000 people, has been postponed.
The decision to postpone the two-day event, scheduled to take place on Saturday on Sunday, came on Friday night after Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy announced gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled from Monday, March 16.
The festival’s president Shona David and vice president Craig McTaggart said in a joint statement committee members are exploring options to reschedule or hold an alternative event.
“Our priority is and has always been the safety and welfare of our community,” the statement read.
“SunFest is a celebration of Sunbury and all that is great about our town and we would never want to put the health of our friends, family and neighbours at risk.
“We are proud to be one of the last 100 per cent volunteer-run community festivals in Victoria and this decision is heartbreaking to our committee.
“We would like to apologise to anyone who may be impacted by this decision. It is however not simply possible for our event to continue in light of the recent news.
“Our committee is actively exploring options to reschedule or hold an alternative event. We hope to have more to share on this once the situation settles down.
“SunFest has always received the overwhelming support from our community and our volunteer team are immensely grateful for your understanding and support.”
No new date has been set for an alternative event.
