Beloved Riverina festival Strawberry Fields has announced its 2022 cancellation due to extreme flooding.
After a stellar double weekend edition earlier this year, Strawberry Fields was scheduled return to Tocumwal from 28 to 30 October 2022 with an all star lineup featuring the likes of Daddy G (Massive Attack), Moodymann, Barkaa, Horse Meat Disco, Paramida, Acid Pauli, Kamaal Williams and Sassy J to name just a few.
“We are absolutely devastated to announce that we must cancel Strawberry this October,” reads a statement from festival co-directors. “While the idea of throwing the first music festival exclusively accessible by houseboat, tinny, personal snorkelling or flotation device was somewhat tempting….we decided Australia probably isn’t quite ready for the concept just yet.
Strawberry Fields 2022 cancelled
- Strawberry Fields has been forced to cancel their 2022 event this October
- Flooding along the Murray River has made this iteration untenable
- Refunds will be available to ticket holders, and two Melbourne sideshows have been announced
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
“The Murray river – which normally is the star attraction of our beloved festival – is currently at an unprecedented persistent high. After being in Tocumwal for a decade we have never witnessed conditions like this. Critical access and entertainment areas are currently metres underwater, and expert advice suggests the situation could only worsen from here.
“At this stage it is not possible to commence event construction or be confident at all that the festival can safely take place. After consultation with our critical local stakeholders and emergency services, and with insufficient time to secure an alternative venue, we have been left with no alternative but to cancel. ”
Strawberry Fields significant boost to local businesses and community groups will be sorely missed. The previous Mar/Apr edition enabled over $35,000 in grants for local community groups including the Tocumwal RFS, Barooga Public School and Berrigan CWA. Independent economic impact analysis of the festival by Lawrence Consulting demonstrated a contribution of $3.3m to the Berrigan Shire economy and $6.7m in the greater Border region.
House, disco & techno lovers can look forward to a Cup Eve Warehouse extravaganza on Monday 31 October as iconic Detroit heavyweight Moodymann & friends take over The Thorn in an exclusive Naarm show. A raft of surprise international guests will be announced in the coming weeks and Strawberry’s infamous Mirage Motel will host the courtyard. Tickets to be launched this week.
As of today all festival patrons will be able to request a refund on any Strawberry Fields tickets purchased through Humanitix for October 2022. Festival organisers are encouraging those who are able to, to hold onto their tickets for the next edition from 17-19 November 2023.
“Expect Strawberry to be back in full power next November! We plan to drive all the surprises we had in store for October into fifth gear. As a proud underground event (that means no bar sales, no corporate sponsorship BS!), your support is really what makes Strawberry happen year after year and means the world to us.”
Ticket Buyers will receive an automated email from Humanitix enabling them to manually request a refund (excluding fees) within their platform. Refunds will close 12pm 29 October 2022 after which time any tickets unrefunded will automatically be rolled over to the 2023 dates. Refunds will take up to 10 business days to process back to bank accounts.
For those who demand their Strawberry fix – the festival has announced two mega sideshows in Naarm/Melbourne. Fans will also be delighted to snag 25% cashback on all Strawberry sideshow tickets under the Victorian government’s recently renewed Dining & Entertainment program.
Those longing for the live vibes of the Grove should head to The Night Cat on Friday 28 October where Mali blues outfit Tamikrest will bring their smouldering combination of Tamasheq rebel music straight from the Sahara. Desert rock will transition into soulful cumbia & improvised live electronica with local support from Moontide Ensemble, AMARU TRIBE and DJ Eva J.
Tickets available via Moshtix. Cancellation & Refund FAQ: https://www.strawberry-fields.com.au/cancellation-faqs
