The inaugural Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash has been cancelled for 2021 but is set to return in April, 2022. Given the ongoing escalation of the COVID outbreak in NSW, organisers of the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash have made the hard…
The inaugural Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash has been cancelled for 2021 but is set to return in April, 2022.
Given the ongoing escalation of the COVID outbreak in NSW, organisers of the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash have made the hard call to move the inaugural music festival to April 2022.
“We were on a high from staging the hugely successful and COVID safe Birdsville Big Red Bash earlier this month when we made our first announcement to postpone the Mundi Mundi Bash from August to September this year. And at that time we really believed it was achievable. We had micro planned and executed an incredible COVID safety plan at the Big Red Bash, and were the first multi-day major music festival to be staged in Australia since COVID hit.”
“We felt confident that with that experience under our belts we could run another COVID safe event this year. No one could have predicted the situation we now find ourselves in with the Delta variant – and it’s become abundantly clear that for the safety of our patrons, and the local Broken Hill community, we could not possibly stage such a major event at the end of September. Moving the event to later this year unfortunately wasn’t an option as our beautiful Outback setting becomes scorching hot. Camping in 45-50 degree heat isn’t something anyone would sign up for – regardless of how awesome the line-up is,” said Festival owner and Managing Director of the Outback Music Festival Group Greg Donovan.
The new dates of April 21-23, 2022 for the three-day music festival will fall in the Easter school holidays, giving the event some of the best weather the Broken Hill and Silverton region has to offer.
“I think it’s a good move to push the event back given the ongoing uncertainty that is being created by the escalating COVID-19 situation in NSW,” said Broken Hill City Council Mayor Darriea Turley AM.
“We’re extremely happy with the proposed new dates as the event will fall between the Easter long weekend and the Anzac Day public holiday. The Bash will complement our own Heritage Festival over Easter, and will allow visitors to enjoy an extended stay in the city without using too much leave.
“It has the potential to be a marquee week of entertainment and culture, and heritage in the city, so we hope organisers enjoy some better luck in their tireless efforts to bring this massive event to Broken Hill.”
Nearly all of the artists who were on the re-booted bill have thrown their support behind the new event dates, with the all-star line-up of rock legends including Paul Kelly, Ian Moss, John Williamson, Kate Ceberano, Russell Morris, Glenn Shorrock, Ross Wilson, Vika & Linda, Wendy Matthews, Shane Howard, Shannon Noll, Dragon, The Radiators, Chocolate Starfish, Mi-Sex, The Chantoozies, Bjorn Again, Mark Gable, Steve Balbi and Caitlyn Shadbolt remaining in place for 2022.
Thirsty Merc, who embraced the fun of the Birdsville Big Red Bash and were counting down to doing it all again at the Mundi Mundi Bash, are unable to make the new dates.
“I am so grateful that the artists are standing by us and allowing us to move forward offering our ticket holders a line-up that will have very little change since tickets were first purchased in March this year. And to ticket holders who are holding on tight to their tickets, we also say thank you. As well as guaranteeing your spot, your solidarity shows all our artists, contractors, crew, and vendors that you’re 100% behind the recovery of the Aussie music industry as soon as COVID allows. The past 18 months have been a rough ride for so many Australians and our music industry, and we’re all keen to get back to live gigs, concerts, and awesome festivals under desert skies, as soon as it’s safe,” said Greg Donovan.
All 2021 Mundi Mundi Bash tickets will remain valid for the April 2022 event, and these tickets will automatically transfer to the new dates in April. Ticket holders have the option to request a refund up until October 31, with new tickets for the April 2022 Bash to be made available later in the year, pending finalisation of refunded tickets.
When it does run in April 2022 the inaugural Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash music festival will be the biggest event ever staged in Outback NSW.
The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash is a three-day festival with a capacity of just 10,000 and will be staged on the iconic Mundi Mundi Plains outside Silverton in NSW, on the red earth of private farm-land. The Barrier Ranges will provide a spectacular backdrop to the event stage that will be built from the ground up on a landscape that is as vast as it is beautiful.
The event is an all-ages and dog-friendly festival offering up a uniquely Australian destination adventure for families, grey nomads, camping and caravanning enthusiasts, and intrepid travelers.
In addition to the music line-up, the event will also feature a jam-packed program of outback activities – from a Nutbush City Limits World Record dance-off attempt (the current record of 2,787 dancing revelers was set by the Big Red Bash on Thursday, July 8, 2021) to a Mad Max costume dress-up world record attempt, comedy and outdoor film screenings, scenic helicopter flights, camel rides and the charity initiatives such as the ‘Mundi Mundi Undie Run’ fundraising for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The rich history, museums, and art of Broken Hill and Silverton, the stark natural beauty of the region, and a glittering night-sky renowned for stargazing round out the offerings of the new bucket list event.
The historic Mundi Mundi Silverton regionis famously where the post-apocalyptic world in the opening scenes of Mad Max 2 was filmed, along with key scenes for Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and where comedian Jimeoin’s film The Craic was set.
While the Mundi Mundi Plains location is rugged and remote, it is also easily accessed by road vehicles with the sealed roads leading right up to the event site – ensuring those looking for a unique outback camping or caravanning experience can attend without needing off-road 4WD vans, campers, and cars.
Scheduled and charter flights, bus tours, and train transport are also available to Broken Hill for the event.
The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash will be BYO alcohol for both the campsite and concert area and ticket holders are also permitted to bring their own food. There will also be a large range of food vendors selling both hot and cold food and non-alcoholic beverages at the event.
The event also has dog-friendly camping and concert areas and children aged 11-and-under will also be able to attend for free.
Event organisers of the Outback Music Festival Group will continue working with NSW Health and Government as they countdown to April, confident they will be operating in a vastly different COVID environment that includes far greater vaccination levels.