For the first time since holding of the Serbian Festival in Sydney began in 2013, this most popular and most visited event of the Serbian community on the Fifth Continent will not be held. What has been suspected for some time and rumoured about within the Serbian community, was confirmed by members of the New South Wales branch of SOYA (Serbian Orthodox Youth of Australia) by a post on the Festival’s social media pages.

‘It is with great sadness that we inform the public that, due to the covid-19 pandemic, we have decided to postpone this year’s Serbian Festival until February 2022. However, this is not a “goodbye”, but only a “see you soon”,’ read the post on the Festival’s Facebook account.

The official statement says that it would be hardly feasible to hold the Festival in compliance with the restrictions prescribed by the Government of New South Wales, having in mind the large number of participants and visitors who gather every year at this Serbian event in Sydney’s Tumbalong Park.

However, SOYA did not want there to be no gathering of a part of our community at the time of the Festival, so they decided to solemnly mark the Statehood Day of Serbia. On that occasion, on Sunday, 14 February (from 6 pm) they will organize a banquet in the Dockside ceremonial hall at Cockle Bay Wharf in Darling Harbour in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Australia and the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand.

Tickets for this event are available for $ 120, and number of guests is limited in accordance with national covid measures. A maximum of ten persons will be allowed at each table, in compliance with all other regulations. In addition to the gala dinner, guests will be able to enjoy live music by Sydney singers and bands. That way, the Ninth Serbian Festival will be held, although in a reduced format, so next year, if the situation normalizes, we will have the opportunity to attend the tenth, jubilean festival of the Serbian community.

Source: Serbian diaspora