Up Helly Aa 2021, due to be held on Tuesday 26th January, has been postponed for a year. The Up Helly Aa Committee made the unanimous decision following a period of consultation with key partners of the festival.
The decision has been an extremely hard one to make but the Committee have a responsibility to the community of Shetland to ensure the festival does not contribute to the spread of Covid-19. The nature of Up Helly Aa, the numbers involved and the potential of large numbers of visitors to the Isles are all risks that were taken into account.
The festival going ahead in its current format, would be difficult with any restrictions in place and with uncertainty surrounding what guidance would be in place in January meant there was no guarantee the festival could happen at all.
The health and safety of the community, participants and the many volunteers it takes to deliver the festival was the priority of Committee members when making the decision.
The 2021 festival will now take place on Tuesday 25th January 2022.