Broken Heel Postpones 2021 Festival
After organisers of the highly anticipated Broken Heel Festival were last year forced to cancel festivities due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, they have now been forced to postpone this year’s festivities until later in year due to the unfolding COVID-19 situation in New South Wales
In a statement released through the festival’s social media pages over the weekend, the team let it be known that have decided that in order “to minimise the possible impact of Covid travel and gathering restrictions placed in NSW to move the 2021 Broken Heel dates.”
“We wanted to get one out this year as we didn’t have one last year. It broke our heart to think we weren’t going to have one this year, it might be a little warmer, some people may be happier for that, the queens might not be.”
“We hope that by making this call earlier rather than later allows our fabulous guests to get themselves organised and shuffle their plans if they can. Not taken lightly, it was a difficult decision, however the safety and wellbeing of our guests travelling, and the local community of Broken Hill is very much a priority to us,” The statement continued.
Hosted By Art Simone And Philmah Bocks
First launched in 2015 and hosted by drag royalty Art Simone and Philmah Bocks, the festival takes place over 5 days, and welcomes thousands of visitors to the regional New South Wales town of Broken Hill.
Bocks told Star Observer that “with border closures and self-isolation periods and quarantine it was always going to be a hassle getting people in and back out again safely.”
There was also the township of Broken Hill itself and “how the community was feeling” to consider, Bocks said, adding that they “felt it was the right decision on all fronts.”
“Last year we weren’t prepared, everyone went through the same thing of the unknown, but now as we are starting to learn to live with COVID, we felt better prepared. We are trying to put on a really fun event, even if we get to December and there are some elements of restrictions, we will do the best we can,” said Bocks.
With Sydney already in its fourth week of lockdown, and both Victoria and South Australia similarly forced into lockdown by the embers of the now out-of-control Sydney COVID19 outbreak, Broken Heel has unfortunately become collateral damage, joining an ever growing list of cultural events either postponed or cancelled in Australia.
‘Something To Look Forward To’
“The only thing I have it to compare the situation in New South Wales to is the way Daniel Andrews handled the Victorian lockdown. I feel like that has and continues to be handled so well. Victorians if anyone in the country know how hard it is to have a hard lockdown extended and to see the rest of the country opening up and celebrating,” said Bocks.
“If you compare the states, it’s not ideal to see how it is being handled, especially when we are governed by NSW law. If (NSW Premier Gladys) Berejiklian decides to do a state-wide lockdown it will affect us, but we have given it enough time, we pushed it to the furthest reach of this year that we possibly could.”
“Everyone just wants it to happen, we are all feeling a sense of depression with what’s going on, and if we have something to look forward to, that great,” said Bocks and concluded the interview by thanking everyone for their patience and support, adding that the festival team will be in touch with ticket holders within the next 30 days to arrange refunds.
