Organisers of the music festival Trip the Switch have been forced to postpone the event at the 11th hour after Queensland Government border restrictions meant crew members and acts were unable to make the dates.
Victoria was plunged into a five day lockdown after a cluster arose from the Holiday Inn and as a result Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk directed that Queensland would close its borders to the Greater Melbourne region and other Victorians would have to apply for a border pass until February 27.
The border was shut on February 13, just 10 days before Trip the Switch was set to deliver acts such as Ice House, Shannon Noll, The Angels and James Reyne to the Willowbank Raceway.
In a statement released to disappointed patrons, Trip the Switch organisers said their Covid Safe Plan was approved by the government but artists and crew were unable to make the show in time for a 24 hour call.
“Our venue met all the guidelines,” a festival spokesperson said.
“We have been working so hard to get border exemptions for artists and crew coming from Victoria, but as yet no luck.
“[The] border opens 12 hours before gates open, so it will be impossible to put on the event you all deserve.”
Organisers worked swiftly and just days after the announcement the event was postponed, a new date was released for July.
“The organisers of Trip The Switch Music Festival are pleased to confirm the first annual event will proceed on the rescheduled date of Saturday July 3, 2021,” the statement said.
The same huge line-up of Australian artists including ICEHOUSE, James