Auckland Chinese lantern festival postponed due to recent COVID-19 cases

Auckland Chinese lantern festival postponed due to recent COVID-19 cases
Photo credit: Getty Images.

The 2021 Auckland lantern festival is postponed due to the current COVID-19 alert levels.

Event organisers Auckland Unlimited made the decision to postpone the event after talks with key event stakeholders and community leaders following the recent COVID-19 cases and level changes.

The festival can only go ahead in alert level one.

Auckland Unlimited head of major events Richard Clarke said the early decision lessens the financial risk of cancelling late if Auckland doesn't return to alert level one in a week.

"Delivering the festival a week later than originally planned gives Aucklanders the chance to still acknowledge and celebrate the significance of the event," Clark said.

Auckland mayor Phil Goff said it's fantastic that the Auckland Lantern Festival is able to go ahead in early March.

"The Auckland Lantern Festival is a much-loved event and a great celebration of our Chinese communities; I'm really pleased we've been able to find a way to make it happen this year."