Council Cancels Autumn and Winter Outdoor Events Programme

12th October 2020

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City of Wolverhampton Council has announced it has cancelled the usual format of its autumn and winter outdoor events programme due to coronavirus restrictions.

The council usually organises several large, public outdoor events between October and December: LGBT+ Pride, Diwali, bonfire night and Christmas light switch ons.

However, with the city battling a high Covid-19 infection rate and subject to local coronavirus restrictions, these events will no longer be taking place.

Wherever possible, the council will be working with partners to organise safe alternative ways to celebrate these occasions online and via social media with details announced in due course.

Cllr Steve Evans, cabinet member for city environment, said: “I don’t think this decision will come as a great shock to anyone, the pandemic means that large public events are not an option this

year.

“There’s no way you can make events like these, which bring thousands of people together in close proximity to each other, be both safe and commercially viable, so we have had to take the difficult

decision to cancel them in their normal format.

“However, we still want to mark them and are looking at creative ways to do just that which will have an online focus. We have thousands of people who follow the council on social media and a website

that gets a huge number of hits, so we need to utilise these channels to ensure we can still come together virtually.

“I know people will miss these fantastic family events, but they will also understand the need to be responsible and put public safety first at this time. Let us hope that 2021 will be different

and we can once again deliver a brilliant programme of events for our city.”

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