Port Fairy Folk Festival's intimate COVID-Safe program sold out after first day on sale

After closing due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Reardon Theatre hasn't held any major events since March 2020.

But the venue will soon welcome around 700 people through the doors for the March long-weekend of folk music and Moyne Shire Council mayor Daniel Meade was delighted the event could proceed.

"Council applauds the Port Fairy Folk Festival for being able to adapt under the current COVID guidelines, and host the event," he said. "It will be the first public event held at the Reardon Theatre since last year's Folkie and is a significant milestone for our many community-led events across Moyne.

"While each of the four sessions over the weekend are limited to 150 people, we are still seeing solid accommodation enquiries in Port Fairy and are working with the PFFF committee to also have small events held in town over the weekend, such as buskers and markets."

The world-renowned Port Fairy Folk Festival was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic but the festival committee announced four days of evening performances at the Reardon Theatre and collaboration with Keep The Circle Unbroken regional tour and Brunswick Music Festival for the 2021 installment of the festival.

Ticketing manager Shane Lenehan was thrilled the smaller offering had sold out in the first day of sales.

"To put on such a small scale event has still required many hours from the committee, community and festival director. We have around 700 tickets available for the weekend and while I wish we could have more, it's still pleasing to see in the first day we sold out."

Mr Lenehan said he was confident the event would sell out, but he didn't think it would happen quite so quickly. "This is a springboard for the 45^th festival in 2022," he said. "This year it's about us remaining a presence on the weekend and for local businesses.

"The festival is still hugely popular both locally, nationally and internationally and we're working really hard on our 2022 program and we're hoping to make some announcements soon."

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