Coronavirus: Canberra large-scale events off agenda until 2022

But there may still be some further easing of restrictions in the territory to allow mid-sized events, like outdoor concerts, to be trialled.

He says all large events in 2021 and possibly 2022 will have to be "re-imagined".

Speaking at the launch of the Design Canberra festival on Monday, Mr Barr said high density events could not happen.

"The more that we do outdoor, the more we do in smaller groups, the less the risk is, that's a really good lesson for event organisers," he said.

"Until there is a vaccine, the idea of large scale .. events cramming into small spaces is just off the agenda.

"What we need to do is re imagine events that can still deliver high quality events and great experiences.

"They are more likely to look like hundreds of small events rather than one or two really massive events."

"There will be some trials of what you would describe as a mid-size events .. but really the test of it is when the infected person comes in, which is inevitable, how far will the virus spread.

"We will not be having the national Multicultural Festival with 300,000 people packed into this area, that's not happening until we have a vaccine.

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"That doesn't mean we can't endeavour to run the festival, it would just be different in the same way as Floriade has been different."

Mr Barr said the government was looking at a range of options for New Year's Eve celebrations.

"I think most cities are cancelling their fireworks so that would be the presumption that we have here - that things are not going ahead in their current format," he said.

"I think people should presume that for every major event and it's only if we announce a revised format that an event will go ahead."