Skyfire has been postponed amid concerns of an outbreak of coronavirus, following swathes of other events being cancelled around Australia due to public health worries.

The news comes after the Commonwealth’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, told the Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) that events with over 500 people should be cancelled.

General manager of Canberra FM (Skyfire organisers) Craig Wagstaff said they look forward to announcing Canberra’s biggest celebration later in the year.

“With the primary focus on the health and well-being of all people and to ensure a safe event, Canberra FM Radio has made the decision to postpone Hit104.7 Skyfire 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic currently impacting Australia,” Mr Wagstaff said.

“As the largest annual single-day public gathering on the Canberra calendar, the health and safety of all involved is paramount. Our intention is to reschedule the event for later in the year, once we can bring the Canberra community together in an environment that deemed safe for everyone.”

Mr Wagstaff had earlier said they would be guided by advice from ACT Health, the ACT government and the consideration of its own board and management.

Anthems Festival, which was set to take place at Commonwealth Park on 28 March, has been cancelled over coronavirus fears, as has the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix while fans will be barred from the ODI Cricket in Sydney.

After announcing the ACT’s first positive diagnosis of COVID-19 yesterday, the ACT Government maintains its position that public events should proceed as usual at this stage, and is not advocating for mass gatherings to be cancelled.

However, further details are set to be released following the conclusion of the Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting in Sydney and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) this afternoon.

At this stage, tonight’s Raiders’ game against the Titans, and Sunday’s Brumbies-Waratahs remain on.