Festival-goers’ Esoteric Journey Ends in Chaos

In regional Victoria, a group of excited music fans were left disappointed when the Esoteric festival was abruptly cancelled. Among them was Trent Harris-Maher, who, together with his fiancée, had spent a significant amount of money on the trip. Around 50 others joined them as they learned the news while waiting outside the festival gates.

Earlier, they had traveled for nearly four hours by bus from Melbourne to Donald, enduring broken air-conditioning and rising temperatures. After arriving at the festival site at around 3.30pm on a Thursday, they were supposed to enter by noon. However, as time passed and the gates remained locked, frustrations grew among attendees. The heat and lack of provisions added to their discomfort.

"We unpacked all the bus with all of our belongings, and then ... we were just sitting on the side of the road," said Harris-Maher, expressing his disbelief at how quickly the situation had escalated. There was no shelter from the sun, and with temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius, many festival-goers had to sit on their luggage or in camp chairs on dirt roads while anger began to grow.

As the hours dragged on, individuals became increasingly restless. By 5pm, some attendees had started drinking in response to their frustration. The atmosphere turned tense as more people expressed their displeasure. At around 7.30pm, the festival's organizer, Sam Goldsmith, informed attendees through social media and a megaphone that the five-day Esoteric Psychedelic Circus Festival had been called off.

Harris-Maher described the moment: "Some people started crying while others were in shock. They had no words. Some were yelling, `What the f--- is this? How can you do that? It’s so immoral?`" He noted that many attendees, including those who had come from various parts of Australia and even overseas, never anticipated such an outcome.

As the realization of the festival's cancellation sank in, Harris-Maher and his fiancée sought information about their return transportation. Volunteers informed them that the bus back to Melbourne could take hours. Concerned about their safety, they decided to spend the night at a local campground and arranged an $800 private transfer for the following day. Ultimately, the bus showed up the next morning, but they were not notified.

The couple's entire trip cost them around $5,000, including accommodation in Melbourne. Costing even more than a potential trip to Europe, Harris-Maher expressed his disappointment, stating, "They should have left the buses there if they knew there was a chance it wasn’t going ahead."

Many other festival-goers echoed his frustrations. Some voiced their concerns on social media, noting the financial impact on attendees who had traveled from far and wide for the event. Criticisms were also directed at local authorities, as planning issues had previously caused problems for Esoteric organizers. A council meeting had even recommended not granting a permit for future events. However, festival organizers contested this, claiming they had received necessary approvals.

After the cancellation, the organizers offered refunds to ticket holders as well as the option to attend a consolation event in Melbourne that weekend. Sadly, this was not an option that appealed to Harris-Maher, who just wished to return home and leave the unpleasant experience behind.

festival, disappointment, cancellation