WOMAD NZ brings in crowds, despite other events being cancelled

Fears of the Coronavirus didn't stop the crowds packing in to Brooklands park. Pictured here the crowd listening to The Blind Boys of Alabama on Saturday night.

Around 17,000 people descended on Brooklands Park in New Plymouth on Saturday, for the second day of the three-day music and dance festival, Womad NZ.

Despite other large events around the country being cancelled due to Coronavirus fears, the popular music festival went ahead in New Plymouth.

There were plenty of hand sanitiser stations available for festivalgoers, and people were encouraged to touch elbows rather than greet each other by hugging or shaking hands.

At the Kidzone area, families were enjoying the sunshine and range of fun activities on offer on Saturday afternoon, and didn't seem overly concerned about the virus.

"We come every year and didn't see a reason to cancel this year. Our kids all know to wash their hands and cover sneezes and coughs, and they don't really go and touch people they don't know so I don't see the risk as being any higher than them going to school or catching a bus actually."

Miriam Hosten had travelled from Hamilton with her three children and partner and said she didn't think they were at risk of catching anything.

"We are all pretty healthy normally, and we aren't sharing food containers with anyone else. I don't imagine this is a risk at all actually."

For first time festival goers Sam Thomas and her partner Ina Savarro, getting their money's worth was also a factor in attending.

"We bought our tickets ages ago, and as the event was going ahead, we wouldn't have been entitled to a refund if we chose not to come. Our accommodation was also already paid for, so we would have been out of pocket by several hundred dollars if we didn't come.

"Our baby girl is only little, so we are keeping her wrapped up and away from other people by using the sling so she isn't at risk. We did think about not coming, but also didn't really believe there was a strong risk of us getting sick here.

"We are being a bit more careful than usual maybe, we are a bit more aware of our personal space, keeping a bit of a distance from others I suppose."