Melbourne has scrapped their New Years fireworks for the first time in… forever. Yonks.

Docklands 2019. Source: City of Melbourne

But better safe than sorry. The end of year festivities have been cancelled and replaced with a two-day socially distanced street food festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made by Melbourne City Council and, unless you’re a “Freedom Day” fella, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The entire state of Victoria has just come out of a four month lock down. It’s not worth sending the achievements backwards for a few lobbed crackers from the river.

Quite frankly, the council is right to cancel.

Source: City of Melbourne


“We are tailoring a program to safely encourage more patrons into our incredible and deserving hospitality businesses that have struggled through lockdown restrictions”.

– Sally Capp, Lord Mayor of Melbourne

It is an event that usually has an expected attendance of roughly 400,000 people to south-east Australian city which could become a public health threat during a continuing pandemic.

Sure, Victoria has recorded its 17th consecutive day without any new COVID-19 cases or virus-related deaths. That is worth celebrating. But is it worth creating a new cluster for a brief moment?

Docklands 2019. Image Source: City of Melbourne

“This has been an incredibly tough year and we want to mark its end by celebrating and supporting Melbourne’s wonderful cafes, bars and restaurants”.

– Sally Capp, Lord Mayor of Melbourne

Instead of a crowded river bank, dining precincts will be set up across the city of Melbourne, all where you can enjoy your New Year celebrations at more than 50 venues, some are located at Flinders Lane and Little Bourke Street – areas already famous for being eat streets.

You don’t get COVID, you get a feed and you get to support local business which has suffered worst this year.

That way you can safely send this awful year into oblivion for good.