Royal Melbourne Show cancelled

Victoria's iconic Royal Melbourne Show has been cancelled for a second consecutive year due to the ongoing coronavirus uncertainty and operational constraints, organisers of the event say.

The show was scheduled to be held in late September for 11 days but the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria made the decision on Wednesday (today)  to cancel the event, citing the pandemic.

RASV president Matt Coleman said challenges and risks associated with holding major events and large crowds made it impossible to go ahead with the planning of the show.

"We felt it important for all those planning to be involved in the event including exhibitors, competitors, judges, stewards, sponsors and volunteers that they have certainty so they can make informed decisions in relation to their own arrangements," Mr Coleman said.

"It is a much-loved major Victorian event that is a unique and valuable platform to promote and celebrate excellence in agriculture, with thousands of agricultural producers from rural and regional Victoria coming together at Melbourne Showgrounds."

The annual event attracts more than 450,000 visits each year and contributes more than $244 million to the Victorian economy.

The first show was held in Victoria in 1848 and since its inception had only been called off on two occasions prior to 2020; first when the showgrounds was requisitioned during war effort in 1915 and again during WWII in the early 1940s.