Groovin The Moo has become the latest festival to pull the plug in light of the global coronavirus outbreak. The three-weekend touring regional fest will also not be rescheduled.
Today (March 17), the festival issued a statement saying that it “will not be going ahead as planned”.
“This is the first time since the inaugural Groovin the Moo was held in Gloucester (NSW) in 2005 that we’re unable to bring the festival to our beloved regions across the country,” the statement continued. “The Government’s recommendations together with the uncertainty of these times makes it impossible for us to push forward with GTM this year.”
“Unfortunately, GTM is unable to reschedule the 2020 events due to the uncertainty surrounding how long the ban will be in place for, along with the logistics involved with coordinating six venues across six states and territories to align with each other, and the schedules of both our National and International Artists.”
Read More: Coronavirus outbreak – which Australian festivals and concerts have been affected?
The ban in question refers to the government’s ban on non-essential public gatherings of more than 500 people, which went into effect yesterday.
Organisers say ticketholders have two options: hold onto their ticket for Groovin The Moo 2021 or opt for a complete refund. The festival will return with dates and times for punters to take up these options.
In its statement, Groovin The Moo also urged those opting for refunds to channel those funds to “a business that has been affected by bushfires or is likely to struggle with dwindling patronage in coming weeks”.
“Eat a nice meal, stay in a caravan park, hire a canoe, buy a souvenir fridge magnet – these communities are struggling and will be grateful for whatever help they can get,” organisers wrote. “We also encourage you to support the music industry by buying some band merch, or seeing how you can help through organisations like I Lost My Gig and Support Act.”
I Lost My Gig is a new website that is collecting data on income lost from event cancellations due to COVID-19 and the bushfires. As of noon on March 16, it logged more than $47million in lost income.
Support Act is an organisation that provides crisis relief services to people in multiple levels of the music industry microcosm, including artists, roadies, managers and more. Charlotte Abroms, the manager of Angie McMahon and other artists, has set up a Facebook fundraiser with all donations going to Support Act. At time of writing, more than $9,000 has been raised.
Groovin The Moo ended its official statement by confirming details for the 2021 edition. Read the statement in full here, and find the 2021 dates and locations for Groovin The Moo below.
The dates and locations for Groovin The Moo 2021 are:
Wayville, SA
Friday 23 April 2021 (School Holidays)
Adelaide Showground
Wayville, SA
Maitland, NSW
Saturday 24 April 2021
Maitland Showground
Blomfield St, Maitland, NSW
Canberra, ACT
Sunday 25 April 2021
Exhibition Park In Canberra (EPIC)
Entry via Stirling Avenue, Mitchell, ACT
Bendigo, VIC
Saturday 1 May 2021
Bendigo’s Prince of Wales Showground
42-72 Holmes Rd, Bendigo, VIC
Townsville, QLD
Sunday 2 May 2021 (Long Weekend)
Murray Sports Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds
Mervyn Crossman Dr and Murray Lyons Cres, Annandale, QLD
Bunbury, WA
Saturday 8 May 2021
Hay Park (off) Parade Road, Bunbury, WA