The inaugural winter festival Snowboxx has cancelled its 2021 event scheduled to take place next week (September 7-14) at the Cardrona and Treble Cone ski fields.

The event, a collaboration between Europe’s leading winter music festival, Snowboxx, and Wanaka’s own Rhythm & Alps, promised an action-packed programme of après ski shenanigans, combining elements of a ski trip and a music festival into one package.

In April Rhythm & Alps director Alex Turnbull said the event had secured “the best talent New Zealand has to offer”.

“It is with great sadness that we have to announce that Snowboxx NZ won’t be able to take place in 2021,” Snowboxx said in a statement. 

“Unfortunately, the current travel restrictions and the unpredictability we are going to face in the coming days have forced us to make the difficult decision to cancel the event.”

Snowboxx said customers will receive a refund and that it was too early to provide certainty on next year's dates.

A number of local events have been affected by the alert level four and three restrictions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak in the North Island.

The popular Stars in Your Eyes show scheduled for September has been cancelled, organisers said last week. 

“The situation with Covid alert levels has meant that we cannot continue with rehearsals and have no assurance that we will be at level one by show date.”

Ignite Wānaka has had to cancel its afternoon tea with Pic Picot (aka the ‘peanut butter guy’) and its August Women in Business luncheon. The Wānaka Concert Society has cancelled its Sweet Chance concert featuring leading classical singers Morag Atchison and Catrin Johnsson.

Sport has also been affected, with the Wānaka Golf Club postponing its ANZ Private Annual Wānaka Tournament until late September and cancelling its men’s 36 Hole Champs, which was due to be played yesterday (September 3).

For a list of upcoming events see the Wānaka App Events page.

PHOTO: Supplied