Ngā mihi o te wā me te Tau Hou – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the team at Baycourt Community & Arts Centre!

With the summer holiday break just around the corner, the 2019 EVANZ Supreme Award winning venue would like to advise the community the Baycourt box office will be closed to the public from 4pm on Wednesday, December 23, and reopens in the New Year on Monday, January 18, at 10am.

Opening Baycourt's 2021 season of events with a musical flourish will be The Howard Morrison Quartet – Take 2 concert in the Addison Theatre on Wednesday, February 20.

Traditionally, Baycourt does not host shows or event during January and the venue uses this month to carry out any essential maintenance on the building, as well as prepare for the upcoming season of shows and events.

Baycourt manager James Wilson says 2020 has been an extremely stressful year for the Tauranga community and for the entire Aotearoa live events sector due to the global COVID outbreak, the subsequent lockdown back in March, and the various alert level changes over the course of the year.

'I don't think I'd be alone in saying, ‘good riddance 2020 and bring on 2021!' When I look back on the year that's been, COVID and its impact turned our world on its head, with so many events and shows being forced to postpone or cancel because of the virus.

'But when I look to the future and to our 2021 calendar I am absolutely heartened. The line-up next year is extremely strong, there's a bounty of tremendous shows and events coming our way, and though it might be cliché to say, hand-on-heart there is honestly something for everyone coming to Baycourt next year.”

While Baycourt is closed from December 23 to January 18 people can still book tickets for shows coming up at the centre in 2021 by visiting the Ticketek website at www.ticketek.co.nz or by giving them a call on 0800 TICKETEK (842 538).

On behalf of Baycourt, Wilson wishes everyone in the Tauranga community a fantastic and safe Christmas and New Year's break.

'We look forward to welcoming you back to Baycourt in 2021 for a year filled with arts adventures, great storytelling and some more fantastic nights out.

'Ngā mihi o te wā me te Tau Hou – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.”