Chaos as thousands of ticket holders at Aussie festival are turned away after floods turn site into a mud pit
Thousands of attendees at an outback festival have been flooded out by massive rain.
Business owner Christina shared an apology to her customers on Tuesday after her Glitter and Glow Hair Bar tent was wiped out by a storm at the Mundi Mundi Bash music festival, 35 km northwest of Broken Hill in west NSW.
‘I am defeated,’ Christina wrote online.
‘Unfortunately our gazebos, tent and a lot of gear was destroyed last night in the storm at Mundi.’
The festival had to turn away thousands of ticket holders on Wednesday after the site was partially flooded but at least 10,000 were still able to access the event.
Mundi Mundi Bash is a three-day event running shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Campers were granted access to the grounds from Monday.
However, an assessment by organisers saw only those with two or three-day passes granted campsite access on Wednesday.
Ticket holders with one-day early-entry or vehicle entry passes will be offered refunds.
Mundi Mundi Bash was partially flooded by several storms earlier this week (pictured is business owner Christina’s tent)
The festival turned away thousands of ticket holders on Wednesday
Hundreds of cars queued in deep mud (above) on Wednesday
Festival founder Greg Donovan described the decision to close 30 per cent of campsites due to flooding as ‘gut-wrenching’.
‘The site held up well following a 42mm rain event on August 8 and 9, and was ready to welcome this year’s Bashers,’ he wrote online.
‘However, further rain during the roll-in period has had a significant impact because the ground was already saturated.
‘I am profoundly saddened and upset that this has happened … I understand and empathise with the disappointment, frustration and heartbreak you are feeling.’
Wilangee Road, the entry road for the festival, has only been accessible by four-wheel drives since the weekend due to the mud.
The festival is expected to see a possible morning storm on Thursday before conditions clear for partially sunny conditions on Friday and Saturday.
Christina joined hundreds of cars queued at the festival grounds on Tuesday after her hair braiding tent was destroyed.
‘We had no choice but to salvage what we could and leave,’ she wrote.
The festival is set to see more rain on Thursday before conditions clear
About 30 per cent of campsites (above) were unusable due to flooding
‘Our star pickets and screw-in pegs where ripped out of the ground and our tent was flooded, we had to spend the night in the car.
‘Very sorry to everyone that was excited to have their hair done. We are as disappointed as you are.’
She later told Yahoo News that hundreds of cars had become stuck while waiting to leave the festival. Emergency service crews were on standby to offer assistance.
‘Not only that, the ground is exceptionally boggy, many cars and vans are getting bogged,’ Christina said.
‘I feel for everyone right now. The organisers, travellers and businesses are facing so much uncertainty.’
Ticket holders who missed a performance by Furnace and the Fundamentals at the Bash on Wednesday night were given free access to a make-up show at Palace Hotel, in nearby Broken Hill, by the band later that evening.
Those denied access to the campsite will be offered a refund by organisers.
