Electronic festival Rainbow Serpent have announced major changes to their 2020 event, which was scheduled to kick off two weeks from now in Lexon, Victoria, after the site was hit by bushfires late last month.
After liaising with Country Fire Association (CFA), Victoria Police, Forest Fire Management Victoria and Pyrenees Council staff, festival organisers and stakeholders agreed that, due to “a number of safety concerns stemming from the fire that affected the site and the wider bushfire impacts across the country,” holding the festival over the planned weekend in Lexton was simply “not the right thing to do.”
“No one could have predicted the intensity of the fires we’ve witnessed around the country over the last two weeks, and it’s been a sobering experience for us all,” said organisers on Facebook earlier today, thanking the festival’s community for their patience over the past weeks.
However, rather than simply cancel the much-loved festival, organisers have announced two special events which will take its place. The first will be multi-stage festival in Melbourne CBD on Sunday, 26th January, hosting “the majority of special guest performers from the original lineup.”
The second will see the festival return to Lexton, Victoria over Easter Weekend 2020, for a multi-day “regen edition” to help assist the local community in rebuilding areas impacted by the fires along with providing a boost to the local economy. Along with all the usual Rainbow favourites, they’ll be hosting events including tree planting and a community working bee.
If you had a Rainbow Serpent ticket for the originally planned dates, that’ll get you into both. Festival organisers will be announcing further information over the coming days, and details on how to obtain a full of partial refund if you’re unable to attend the new events will be released from tomorrow.
“We ask everyone to please be sympathetic to the needs and wellbeing of the broader community at this time but also the incredible strain our crew are currently experiencing in trying to work towards an outcome that is acceptable, enjoyable and safe. By supporting us and attending both these events you are helping to secure the future of Rainbow Serpent Festival and our continued work in partnership with the Pyrenees Community.”
Speaking to ABC earlier today, Jayne Briody, who owns the property in Lexton which Rainbow Serpent is held at, commented that “A good 50 to 60 per cent of the Rainbow Serpent area was burned.”
“Basically all the campground and all the event area was destroyed by fire and a lot of trees had to be removed due to safety concerns.”
Read the full post from Rainbow Serpent below.
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