Benalla's Wall to Wall festival postponed for second year due to COVID

Festival committee chair Roxanne DeMasson said originally the event was postponed until November this year, but organisers recently decided to push it to 2022.

"We were postponing it until November but because the event would be competing with so many other events, and the way COVID has been, we thought it'd be best to postpone it to April or May next year when the event usually runs," she said.

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It will be the second year in a row the festival won't run after the 2020 event was cancelled when COVID rules advised against non-essential organised public gatherings of more than 500 people.

The art festival, established in 2015, has run each year until its postponement in 2020 and draws thousands of visitors to the city across the two-day weekend.

But with constantly changing state border restrictions and international artists not being able to travel into the country, organisers decided running the event in 2021 would simply be too difficult.

"The festival brings in a lot of international artists, so we're hoping next year the (internal) borders and international borders will be at a point where artists will be able to again come into the country," she said.

"Our visitation from previous events had been upwards of 10,000 over the event weekend, so it's a big boost to the economy."

Despite the festival being called off two years in a row, organisers are determined it won't fall victim of COVID-19 in the long term.

"We're disappointed but we're all extremely passionate about delivering the event," Miss DeMasson said.

"There's still a lot of enthusiasm driving the event and it will be bigger and better hopefully next year."

Although the physical festival won't go ahead, residents and visitors will be able to relive the experience through a virtual walk-through at the government's Victoria Together website.

All current artworks have been 3D scanned, allowing people to tour the streets and view the murals without having to leave their home.

Despite the disappointment of cancelling the 2021 event, Miss DeMasson said it will allow organisers and artists the time to create a bigger and better event for the following year.

"We look forward to seeing everyone in 2022," she said.

"It's going to be great and gives us time to prepare more community partnerships and gives us the chance to build on an already great festival."

To view Wall to Wall's online offering visit: https://www.together.vic.gov.au/art/wall-wall-festival-virtual-tour