Auckland's Big Gay Out event postponed due to impact of flooding

Tuesday, 7 February 2023

Climate change Minister James Shaw talks about the climate response in light of Auckland's floods. (First published January 31, 2023.)

Auckland’s Big Gay out event has been postponed by a month due to the floods on Auckland Anniversary weekend.

The Burnett Foundation said it was notified by Auckland Council that it wouldn’t be safe to hold the event at Point Chevalier’s Coyle Park on February 12.

“This decision has been made to ensure that Coyle Park is safe for our communities following the Auckland Anniversary flooding.”

But unlike in 2022, where the event had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 Omicron outbreak, the 2023 event would now take place a month later, on March 12.

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Big Gay Out was last held in 2021 after Covid-19 caused it to be postponed last year.

Big Gay Out is one of many events for Aucklanders during pride month, which runs throughout February.

Organisers have had to postpone a few events scheduled at the start of the month due to the damage caused by the floods.

Due to the floods there are 20 roads still closed in the region with coastal areas hit particularly hard.

Big Gay Out is held annually during pride month and involves a day of queer music performances, markets and dancing.

It is one of the larger free annual summer events and usually attracts 15,000 to 20,000 people.

The last time the event had to be cancelled due to extreme adverse weather on the day was in 2018.

The Weet-Bix TRYathalon, a triathlon for kids aged six to 15, has also been postponed due to contaminated waterways from the recent floods.

The triathlon, in which kids complete a swim at Auckland’s Point England Beach, a bike ride and a run, will now be held on March 26.

“There is still a very high health risk and swimming in waterways under any alert is not advised,” the organisers said in a statement.

“We have been advised this alert will stay in place until the middle of next week, with no guarantee that the alert will move through red to green in time for next weekend’s event. We hope the postponement is not a setback for all the kids who’ve been looking forward to the TRYathlon.”

A number of other events in Auckland had to be cancelled or postponed due to the floods including Auckland’s lantern festival, Elton John’s two concerts and Laneway Festival.