After a great deal of consideration, Tamworth Regional Council via Destination Tamworth has announced that the inaugural National Thunder Motorcycle Rally will not go ahead this year.

“We have been monitoring the pandemic situation closely for the past few months and while New South Wales statistics are looking positive, we are acutely aware that we are continuing to operate in uncertain times as illustrated by the recent spike in Victorian COVID-19 cases,” said Barry Harley, Manager of Events at Tamworth Regional Council.

“There have been a number of key considerations that went into this decision, the most important of which are around the health and safety of our ticketholders and the quality of the experience our punters expect. With the understandable but considerable limitations placed on the event in the current climate, we aren’t able to guarantee either of these things and so in the interest of event-goers, we’ve decided to postpone the inaugural event to 2021.”

The National Thunder Motorcycle Rally was to be held over four huge days from Friday 2 October at Tamworth’s Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), and promised a jam-packed schedule of bikes, music and food alongside organised rides showcasing the Tamworth region. The response to the event’s announcement in June last year was overwhelmingly positive, with the rally appealing to both die-hard bike enthusiasts across all brands alongside locals and visitors interested in the highly anticipated entertainment schedule.

The event’s cancellation is in line with recent announcements from a broad range of non-seated events across various industries scheduled to take place this October, including Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay and Tulip Time in Bowral.

The inaugural National Thunder event will instead go ahead from Friday 1 to Monday 4 October, 2021 and organisers are aiming to carry over existing plans to deliver the quality event promised to attendees this year whilst continuing to support suppliers in this challenging climate.

Tickets already purchased for the 2020 event will be valid for National Thunder 2021. Event organisers have made contact with all ticket-holders and other relevant stakeholders; those unable to attend in 2021 will be eligible for a refund.