The organisers of a popular Victorian music festival have hit back at reports that the event scheduled for next week is in danger of being axed.
Per ABC, Buloke Shire Council officers have recommended that the 2025 Esoteric Music Festival should not go ahead due to health and safety concerns, while organisers reportedly put tickets on sale for the Donald event without getting the proper permits.
The Buloke council will vote on Monday whether the “psychedelic music, arts and lifestyle gathering” should be granted a permit ahead of the event scheduled for March 7th-11th.
The festival organisers responded to the reports in a statement given to Rolling Stone AU/NZ on Friday.
“Since 2017 Esoteric Music Festival has been an important feature on the Victorian music festival calendar and injects millions of dollars into regional tourism in the state, the local community of Donald and surrounds. We also continue to provide thousands of jobs to industry personnel and local contractors that are relying on the festival going ahead this year,” the statement reads.
“Ensuring festival goers are safe is our number one priority and we have put in place stringent measures following the Victorian Health Department’s recommendations last year which showed organisers contained the unfortunate outbreak extremely well.
“We continue to work closely with Buloke Shire Council and the relevant authorities so that the festival can go ahead as planned and we are hopeful they will vote in favour of granting the permit on Monday. We have provided all the necessary documentation required for the application, including approvals from the emergency services Victoria Police, Country Fire Authority and Ambulance Victoria. There is no reason for the festival not to go ahead.”
The news comes at a particularly tough time for the local festival scene. Another Australian festival, Souled Out, cancelled its entire 2025 run just days out from the events last week while major events such as Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo will also not be going ahead this year.
