Holi and Nowruz festivals cancelled after reconsidering COVID-19 messaging to multicultural communities

Health messages about the COVID-19 pandemic have been top of the agenda as state and territory multicultural affairs ministers met for the first time in 10 years. Poor messaging so far has affected some communities more than others.

Melbourne's one of the biggest Holi festival program has been cancelled by the Shri Durga Mandir administration committee. 

Rishi Prabhakar is a member of the committee.

He told SBS Hindi, "We considered the circumstances and government advisory about the COVID19 pandemic, and management committee unanimously decided to cancel the Holi program in view of safety and health of our devotees."

There'll be no celebration of the 3,000-year-old tradition of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, this year in Brisbane or elsewhere in Australia. 

Events have been cancelled by the communities, says Mohammadreza Shama, President of the Iranian Society of Queensland. 

"It gives a message to the Australian community that Iranian people care about public health more than anything."