A statement from Esoteric Music Festival Managing Director Sam Goldsmith:

We are utterly devastated to announce that Donald’s Esoteric Music Festival will not be going ahead this weekend.

To say we are disappointed is an understatement – we are gutted. This is a devastating blow for all involved – from our patrons to the local businesses that have been planning for this all year. It is bureaucracy and politics gone mad.

Despite overwhelming evidence that the Esoteric Music Festival is safe and compliant to run, we have been left stunned by the decision of the Municipal Building Surveyor not to grant a POPE permit and will now have to postpone the festival until 2026.

Since 2017 this event has been a lifeline for Victoria’s regional tourism and live music scene, injecting more than $15 million into the local economy and supporting thousands of jobs in the Wimmera Mallee region.

We implore all of our patrons, please hold onto your ticket for next year so that we can continue running this event and supporting Victoria’s north-west region as we have for the past eight years and will come back even stronger in 2026.

Ticket holders will be communicated to directly about the postponement of the festival and offered a full refund if they can't make the next event.