Thousands of attendees were unable to access the Mundi Mundi Bash music festival in western New South Wales this week after heavy rainfall transformed the site into a mud pit.
Organizers were forced to turn away around 15,000 ticket holders on Wednesday, restricting campsite access to those with two or three-day passes. Ticket holders with one-day early-entry or vehicle entry passes will be offered refunds. The festival, which runs from Thursday to Saturday, had allowed campers onto the grounds from Monday.
Mundi Mundi Bash founder Greg Donovan described the decision to close approximately 30 percent of the campsites due to flooding as "gut-wrenching." He stated that while the site had initially weathered a rain event on August 8 and 9, subsequent rain during the arrival period saturated the ground, significantly impacting the festival grounds.
Business owner Christina, who operates the Glitter and Glow Hair Bar, shared on social media that her tent and equipment were destroyed by a storm. She reported that "hundreds of cars had become stuck" while trying to leave the festival grounds due to the boggy conditions. Christina and her team had to spend the night in their car after their gazebos, tent, and gear were damaged and flooded.
The entry road to the festival, Wilangee Road, has been accessible only by four-wheel drives since the weekend due to the deep mud. Despite the disruptions, the festival is expected to experience clearing conditions with partially sunny weather on Friday and Saturday, following a possible morning storm on Thursday.
