The Mundi Mundi Bash will go ahead as planned this weekend, but not everyone with a ticket will be able to make it through the gates after heavy rain left parts of the festival site unusable.
Organisers confirmed the sold-out outback festival will proceed at Belmont Station on the Mundi Mundi Plains from today to Saturday (August 22nd), however, patrons holding 1 Day Early Entry or Standard Vehicle Entry passes who had planned to camp onsite or attend as day-trippers will no longer be permitted to enter.
More than 10,000 festivalgoers have already made it onto the site, while the remaining 2 Day and 3 Day Early Entry campers are still eligible to enter.
The decision follows 11 days of rain around Broken Hill, with organisers saying the total is close to – and likely to exceed – the city’s August rainfall record of 74mm, set in 1973. The region had already experienced a particularly wet winter, with double the average rainfall recorded across June and July.
Around 25% to 30% of the Mundi Mundi Bash site is now considered unsuitable for camping, prompting organisers to restrict further entry.
Festival founder and organiser Greg Donovan described the move as “the most gut-wrenching decision I have ever had to make”.
“I make many complex and difficult decisions in my role, but this has been the most gut-wrenching decision I have ever had to make, and it sits heavily on my shoulders,” Donovan said in a statement sent to Rolling Stone AU/NZ on Wednesday evening (August 19th). “I am profoundly saddened and upset that this has happened.”
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The site had initially held up following 42mm of rain on August 8th and 9th, according to Donovan, but further rainfall during the festival’s roll-in period hit already saturated ground. “As a result, approximately 25% to 30% of the site is now unsuitable for camping over the coming days, particularly with the further rain now forecast for Thursday,” he said.
The latest development comes after organisers temporarily closed the festival gates on Wednesday while crews assessed conditions following several days of rain.
Donovan acknowledged the disappointment for those who had already travelled towards Broken Hill or spent months preparing for the sold-out event.
“As an organiser who always puts our patrons first, I have thought deeply about those who were excited to attend and who put so much effort into preparing for and travelling to the festival,” he said. “I understand and empathise with the disappointment, frustration and heartbreak you are feeling. I know exactly how I would feel in the same circumstances.
“While we must now focus on delivering a great, albeit muddy, festival for those onsite, our hearts and thoughts are with everyone who can no longer be here to enjoy the Bash with us this year.”
Affected 1 Day Early Entry and Standard Entry Vehicle Pass holders will be contacted directly by Oztix next week with information about refunds for festival and activity tickets and vehicle entry passes.
For those already onsite and eligible to enter, the festival’s music and entertainment program will proceed as scheduled.
The 2026 lineup is headed by the Teskey Brothers, Jon Stevens, John Butler, Boy & Bear, Baby Animals and Jessica Mauboy, alongside the Whitlams, Leo Sayer, Tim Finn, Mi-Sex, Troy Cassar-Daley, Fanny Lumsden and more.
Read the full statement below.
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM GREG DONOVAN
FOUNDER AND ORGANISER OF THE BROKEN HILL MUNDI MUNDI BASH
Our site team has now completed a thorough assessment of site conditions. Regrettably, we no longer have sufficient camping capacity to accept any additional ticket holders beyond our 2 Day and 3 Day Early Entry campers.
We can accept only these ticket holders until 5pm today, and again from 7am tomorrow. However with further rain forecast overnight, we recommend arriving today if you can do so safely.
As a result, the Mundi Mundi Bash is now closed to entry for patrons with 1 Day Early Entry or Standard Vehicle Entry tickets who were planning to camp onsite or attend the festival as day-trippers.
Any of the few remaining 2 and 3 Day Early Entry campers who have not yet entered are now welcome, and our camping marshals are on hand ready to direct you into a suitable campsite.
I make many complex and difficult decisions in my role, but this has been the most gut- wrenching decision I have ever had to make, and it sits heavily on my shoulders. I am profoundly saddened and upset that this has happened.
Where do I start to explain what has lead to this situation? It has been an incredibly challenging time for our event team and volunteers, who have been working tirelessly in difficult conditions across a sodden site. The rain experienced over an 11-day period is close to, and will likely exceed, the all-time Broken Hill August rainfall record of 74mm, set in 1973. This follows an already very wet winter, with double the average rainfall falling across June and July.
The site held up well following a 42mm rain event on 8 and 9 August and was ready to welcome this year’s Bashers. However, further rain during the Roll In period has had a significant impact because the ground was already saturated. As a result, approximately 25% to 30% of the site is now unsuitable for camping over the coming days, particularly with the further rain now forecast for Thursday.
We are a family-based organisation, proud and passionate about delivering a well-organised festival and an exceptional experience for our patrons. While this decision is necessary, it is not the experience we ever wanted for our Bashers.
As an organiser who always puts our patrons first, I have thought deeply about those who were excited to attend and who put so much effort into preparing for and travelling to the festival. I understand and empathise with the disappointment, frustration and heartbreak you are feeling. I know exactly how I would feel in the same circumstances.
While we must now focus on delivering a great, albeit muddy, festival for those onsite, our hearts and thoughts are with everyone who can no longer be here to enjoy the Bash with us this year.
From the bottom of my heart, I would also like to thank our crew, volunteers, contractors and every person involved in the event. They have worked extraordinarily hard throughout this challenging period, and I am incredibly grateful for their commitment and determination.
1 Day Early Entry and Standard Entry Vehicle Pass holders will receive communication directly from Oztix next week with details regarding refunds of festival and activity tickets and vehicle entry passes.
Greg Donovan
Founder and Organiser
Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash
