The Sydney Royal Easter Show, held annually over the Easter weekend, reached new heights in 2021 as it overcame COVID-19 restrictions.
The show, which ran from Thursday 1 April to Monday 12 April, welcomed over 800,000 people through its gates across the event’s 12 days. This included staff, volunteers, and ticket holders.
Beginning in 1823, the Sydney Royal Easter Show was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions but was successfully able to bounce back in 2021 while still following restrictions and guidelines for live events set in place due to the pandemic.
Changes that were implemented included reducing box office presence, making the switch to digital-only ticketing, and having a capped scan capacity of 60,000 patrons per day. All firsts in the Show’s long and rich history.
Ticketmaster’s TM1 entry platform was used to manage access control and crowds for the very first time.
Darryl Jeffrey, COO of Sydney Showground said, “[This year’s event was] an OVERWHELMING success. Sydney supported us in droves. Eight out of twelve days sold out. The final numbers will tip just over 800,000. This will be the largest event in the world in 2021.”
Overall, The Sydney Royal Easter Show successfully bounced back from the pandemic and managed to hold a COVID-safe event while still maintaining the traditions and attractions that have become synonymous with a day at the show – including the iconic show bags and parades.
There were a variety of food highlights at the show this year including bacon on a stick (the most popular food this year), fairy floss, and corn on the cob which further indicates that the Show was able to come back in full swing.
Next year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show will take place from Friday 8 April through to Tuesday 19 April 2022.
