After the unfortunate cancellation of Bluesfest last week, brewery business Lion has redirected the 9,000 beer and cider on hand for the festival to flood-affected communities around New South Wales.
“Where there’s a tragedy there’s often an opportunity to do something good,” said Lion Sponsorship and Events BDE Chris Silver.
“I’m very pleased to be involved in redirecting more than 9,000 beers that were already in fridges at 7 bar sites at Bluesfest to be repackaged and transported to flood affected communities around NSW. It’s a small win for all in a really challenging time.”
According to Silver, Lion had worked with Bluesfest for months to meet the stringent requirements of its Covid-safe plan. The business redesigned the bars that would be onsite to ensure customers would be safe – moving away from a traditional beer garden style offer and instead planning on handing out cans and bottles to keep customers moving.
And, when the festival was cancelled, Silver said the team was devastated.
“Only hours from gates open. It was a real kick in the guts for everyone involved,” Silver said.
Bluesfest director Peter Noble said the announcement was one of the most difficult statements he’d had to make.
“We really wanted to be at the forefront of the return of live music,” Noble said.
“We feel deeply for everybody affected, the fans, the artists, and the hard-working Bluesfest team. But in the end, the health of our community must come first.”
