Council's director of community services Janice Summerhayes could not confirm which groups have submitted EOIs for the event but said submissions have been received in this year's process which was extended by a week to close on Wednesday October 6.

The response is an improvement from 2020, when no one put their hands up for the event and council hosted a COVID-safe scaled back evening at the Victory Memorial Gardens.

Ms Summerhayes said this year would be of particular importance to the Wagga community and fireworks may be permitted pending bushfire advice. The successful applicant for the event will receive $54,000 in council funding towards the event and will need to be COVID-safe.

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The event won't be hosted by any familiar faces however, with former hosts Thomas Bros Toyota confirming uncertainty around COVID in the state has stopped them throwing their hat in the ring for this year's big night.

The local dealership organised the Skyworks events in 2017 and 2018 but owner Daniel Martelozzo said uncertainty around lockdowns and event capacity would make planning too difficult for them to consider it this year.

"We'd like to do it again but we want more stability [at the moment] it's uncertain times, we don't know what's going to happen," he said. "If there's one or two or three cases here in Wagga, we could be in lockdown pretty quickly, the government doesn't muck around with that."

He said the event would be a great thing for Wagga after a tough two years, and was hopeful they may take up the reins again in 2022.

"I wouldn't mind doing it next year, it just depends on how far behind us we can put this bloody COVID," he said. "Once it's a fair way behind us it's full speed ahead for us."

Committee 4 Wagga who hosted the event between 2014 and 2016 said they won't be putting their hands up for the job either, but said the event would be an important night for Wagga.

"We would see it as a great asset for somebody to deliver it for the community," CEO Brett Sommerville said. "Whenever restrictions have lifted people will want to be out and about as soon as they can and an event like this is an important and a good way to do it."

Meanwhile, Wagga Rotary president Alan Lean said the group won't be hosting but will offer volunteer support.

"I'm sure we would do our volunteering best again to support anyone who was prepared to put it together," he said.

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