For the second year in a row, the annual Coogee Carols will not go on as planned to ensure the health and safety of the community.
In a statement, leaders of Randwick City have met and agreed to drop the iconic event yet again due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. Despite the easing restrictions in Sydney, an alternative celebration will be prepared for the holidays across the town centres, including Coogee.
Instead of converging at Coogee Beach, this year’s Christmas events will include roaming entertainment, pop-up buskers, and potential village carols with a small number of people at various places. This will give the local choirs a chance to reconnect with an audience after being confined to Zoom and online performances for the last 18 months.
Santa Claus is still expected to drive through town aboard a Christmas bus that will visit public spaces. There will be opportunities to take some photos, albeit with social distancing.
Public artworks will also be on display around Coogee, Matraville and Clovelly.
Photo Credit: TheCoogeeCarols/Facebook
Former Mayor Danny Said revealed that they had to make the decision to cancel the carols in August since planning for the event requires a longer lead time.
“The uncertainty around what restrictions may be in place in the coming months and the significant planning required to produce these events, means we’ve had to make this tough decision now,” the mayor confirmed.
Meanwhile, vaccination checks will likely be required for those joining in the small-scale celebrations.
After 13 weeks in lockdown, NSW has slowly transitioned to the first stage of the state’s reopening plans as LGAs reached their target vaccination milestones. However, Premier Dominic Perrottet warned residents to expect newly acquired infections since restrictions have been eased.
“This is a natural part of opening up,” the premier announced during the press conference. “We will see case numbers increase and hospitalisations increase.”
“We believe that our conservative approach here ensures that we keep people safe but importantly get people back to work as quickly as possible.”