Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Lifting of restrictions too little too late for CubaDupa – but high hopes for 2023

Performers at the CubaDupa street festival in Wellington. Photo / Amanda Photography

The easing of the Covid-19 restrictions comes too little too late to save one of Wellington's most beloved street festivals CubaDupa.

This weekend was supposed to see the Cuba St precinct light up with music, art, food and community spirit – but the Omicron outbreak and subsequent Government health orders meant the festival was not possible.

But on Wednesday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a suite of changes to the restrictions – including scrapping the limit on the number of people allowed at an outdoor gathering from Friday, and announcing vaccine passes will no longer be needed from 4 April.

Chief executive of Creative Capital Arts Trust, and acting director of CubaDupa Drew James said that although it was great the Government has widened the criteria for outdoor gatherings, it still would have been challenging to check vaccine passes.

He said there was a plan in place which involved breaking the street down into ones, and checking vaccine passes at entry point of each.

"We did a lot of planning to try and do that...but the logistics and the cost would have been prohibitive – the realities of doing it that were very challenging."

Had there been a heads up from the Government a little sooner, James says he could have looked "very closely" at the festival being able to go ahead.

"Absolutely if we'd known six weeks out when we made the cancellation call that we would be in this situation we would have looked very carefully if we could have gone ahead."

However, he acknowledged that no one can "look into the crystal" ball and predict how the Covid-19 situation will be – and he's grateful for all the support the Government has given the entertainment and arts.

"I don't think I can be disappointed about the timing of announcements. I think the Government has done everything it can do to protect the community and the world is just so unpredictable at the moment."

While he's disappointed at the lack of festival this year, James says 2023 is something to look forward to.

"We want to offer CubaDupa in its full glory in 2023 - and that's about full access with no restrictions."