It comes as White Night organisers confirm they are still planning an event for Bendigo in October, but say it is too soon to know how large it will be.

The team said in April that it hoped to attract as many people as in 2018, which was about 60,000.

But two snap lockdowns within two months in Victoria have forced the cancellation of several major events across the region, weeks or even days before they were due to run.

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Bendigo Tourism chair Finn Vedelsby said it was vital for the COVID-19 "ravaged" tourism industry that people keep planning events, despite the cancellation risk.

He said Bendigo's visitor economy needed all the support it could get from events such as White Night.

Mr Vedelsby said as an evening event White Night was likely to support accommodation providers, among the hardest hit in the tourism sector.

He said the City of Greater Bendigo's recent Awaken event had lit up the streets during the normally quiet winter period, filling restaurants, bars, and critically, the tills for small businesses. Takings during Awaken were along the lines of summer party months like December, Mr Vedelsby said.

Mr Vedelsby said it was concerning that tourism operators could put the work into getting ready for a major event only for it to be cancelled at the last minute like the 2021 Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show.

The show's cancellation left the event with debts of close to $480,000, and cost its catering company thousands.

For Bendigo restaurants, the state's snap lockdown which forced the cancellation meant offering only takeaway when they were expecting a big weekend of business.

But Mr Vedelsby said it was imperative to stay positive, and keep planning events.

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Mr Vedelsby said a 2021 White Night was unlikely to look the same as the packed streets of the 2018 event.

But he said he was confident that organisers would be able to find a way to run a spectacular event that was COVID-19 safe.

A White Night spokesperson said it was too early to predict crowd numbers at this time.

They said the event would be delivered in line with a COVID-19 safe event plan, following the latest health advice.

Creative director Joseph O'Farrell said the White Night program was "really coming together".

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