Organisers are hoping events scheduled over the next few weeks can go ahead.
Splore 2019. Photo: Daniel Lee
After a clean Covid-19 run for events through the bulk of summer, some in the near future have already pulled the plug while others are in limbo awaiting an alert level decision tomorrow.
Auckland moved to level 3 lockdown and the rest of the country to level 2 after three people from a household in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe tested positive to the UK variant of the virus.
Since then, officials have been reviewing the settings every day. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield are due to announce at 4.30pm tomorrow a decision on a possible change to levels.
Lanterns at the 2018 event. Photo: RNZ / Kate Newton
One of the largest events up in the air is the Auckland Lantern Festival next weekend, which normally attracts nearly 200,000 people.
The planning is carrying on as though the Lantern Festival is going ahead but as the event can only occur at alert level 1 everything depends on the government's decision.
The three-day Auckland music and arts festival Splore scheduled for next weekend is now painstakingly planning to postpone its 7000-person sold-out event.
"It's something that has been top of my mind since last May when we were selling tickets ... going 'well this is risky'," festival director John Minty said.
"I was starting to actually relax last week, thinking we're almost there. We did expect that this could possibly happen so we're obviously looking at our alternatives."
A postponement is not certain yet but Minty think it is likely. He said it came down to tomorrow's decision.
"To postpone, there are definitely costs associated with it, but it's not insurmountable."
If Splore's dates are moved, ticketholders who cannot make the new date will be able to apply for a refund.
Most events cannot go ahead even in alert level 2, as gatherings are limited to 100 people.
Some events have already made the call to postpone - like the Rainbow Parade along Auckland's Ponsonby Road, which was meant to take place on Saturday 20 February.
"We're devastated that we've had to postpone the parade," organiser Shaughan Woodcock said.
"One thing we are very clear on is that we have to make sure our rainbow community is safe as well as everybody coming to attend."
Auckland Pride has a number of events throughout the month, culminating with the Pride March and Party next Saturday 27 February.
Director Max Tweedie said they were looking at postponement options for both but any decision would come after the government determines the alert level from Thursday.
One date that cannot be moved is Ash Wednesday, which is tomorrow. It marks the start of Lent and is a day many Christians go to church.
Lyndsay Freer from the Catholic Diocese said the nearly 200,000 Catholics in Auckland will have to spend it at home. Ash Wednesday last year was on 26 March, the first day of alert level four lockdown.
"What the Bishop is suggesting is that maybe the ashes could be distributed as masses this weekend," Freer said.
"We are encouraged to observe our Lent and traditions on Ash Wednesday even though we can't go to church."
Some sporting events are off too; the Auckland Blues have cancelled a pre-season hit out planned for Saturday at Eden Park.
The New Zealand Rowing Championships is scheduled to start this Thursday. Now, the five-day event will at best only run for three.
World champion double sculler Brooke Donoghue said the uncertainty makes it all the tougher to train hard.
"Mentally I just have to tell myself it's on. I'm not going to give myself anything to doubt because once you start doing that your training suffers," she said.
It all comes down to the government decision tomorrow afternoon.
