The Outback Music Festival Group have today announced their new “no jab, no jive” vaccination policy. Calling it an “Australian Music Industry first”, the company’s new policy will apply to the new Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash in April and August 2022, as well as the Birdsville Big Red Bash in July 2022.
The rules will apply to all current and future ticket holders, staff, volunteers, contractors and vendors, who will all be required to have had a COVID-19 vaccination in order to attend either site.
Greg Donovan, Founder and Managing Director of The Outback Music Festival Group said in a statement today, “The health and safety of our patrons, staff, volunteers, contractors as well as the local outback communities has always been and will continue to be the highest priority for the Outback Music Festival Group.”
“Staging festivals in such remote locations, where patrons come from all over Australia and travel through small regional and outback communities, many of which have large indigenous populations, has led us to carefully review our position on vaccinations.”
“Whilst we respect the choice of individuals as to whether or not they decide to get vaccinated, due to the nature and location of our festivals we have decided to make vaccination a condition of attendance for everyone aged 16 and over.”
Donovan highlights that this policy will offer all attendees the best available protection against COVID-19 and will ensure protection for remote communities that festivalgoers and suppliers will pass through on the way to/from the events too.
The OMF Group were lucky enough to still be able to run their 2021 multi-day Birdsville Big Red Bash event, despite the ongoing pandemic putting a halt to most major festivals across the country. Running from July 6 – 8, 2021, Donovan says the event featured “extraordinary” COVID-safe logistics, including rapid COVID testing onsite by Pathology QLD, “extreme” social distancing measures and “artist bubbles”.
“It feels like a miracle that we had this small magical window of time in which we were able to operate a COVID safe major event with 10,000 people in attendance in one of Australia’s most remote locations”.
Acknowledging the plight of Australia’s live music industry Donovan added, “The live music industry as been absolutely crippled, impacting the livelihoods of so many people from artists, production crew, festival staff, vendors, suppliers and more. We need to do our bit to help promote and advocate for vaccination, so we call get back to doing what we love.”
Photo: Towfiqu Barbhuia
