Secret Garden Festival Is Officially Calling It Quits
The 2019 event will be the last.
Beloved boutique festival Secret Garden has announced that 2019 will be its final year in operation.
In a statement released this morning, organisers wrote that the time is right for the festival to go out with a bang.
“We have known for a long time that Secret Garden 2019 would be our last year,” they wrote. “We have always wanted to go out with a big bang and the stars have aligned for this year to be the perfect time to drop the mic and say, Secret Garden — 11 and out.”
While it started out as a DIY festival experience for a few mates, Secret Garden has grown into a firm favourite of Australian audiences — owing to its ‘No Dickheads Allowed’ policy, its famed costume parties, and cherished sense of community.
“We started Secret Garden because we desperately wanted a different kind of festival experience. A festival less about the headliners and irritable crowds, and more about getting together a community of good people, in over-the-top costumes and creating a world where patrons participate rather than just spectate. It has been a privilege to have touched so many lives in this way.”
Organisers flagged that they “may reappear in some other form in the future”, but for now they are leaving the party when they’re still having fun. And in honour of 2019 being the last event, they’re promising to dial everything up to 11 to celebrate the occasion. Read the full statement from organisers below.
The final Secret Garden Festival will take place Friday 22 to Saturday 23rd of February. The line-up has yet to be released, but past years have seen the likes of The Jezabels, Gang of Youths, and Holy Holy perform. Tickets are on sale, so get in there quick before they disappear for good.
Secret Garden Festival Statement
“We have known for a long time that Secret Garden 2019 would be our last year. We have always wanted to go out with a big bang and the stars have aligned for this year to be the perfect time to drop the mic and say, Secret Garden – 11 and out
We started Secret Garden because we desperately wanted a different kind of festival experience. A festival less about the headliners and irritable crowds, and more about getting together a community of good people, in over-the-top costumes and creating a world where patrons participate rather than just spectate.
11 years on and what we set out to do has far outreached our expectations of what we thought Secret Garden could ever be. Each year 100’s of musicians, dancers, performance artists, visual artists have descended on our forest and turned it into an explosion of creativity and adventure. We have picked up many awards and recognition for being one of Australia’s best and most unique festivals. We have raised nearly $500,000 for charities and most importantly we have been an essential escape and a release for thousands of old and new friends. It has been a privilege to have touched so many lives in this way.
We may reappear in some other form in the future. But as a wise person once said, always leave a party when your still having fun.
We have been deliberating over announcing this news before we open our garden gates one last time in February 2019. However, we wanted to give our loyal friends a final chance to attend the last ever forest disco
In celebration of this massive bombshell being dropped, we will be dialling everything up to 11 this year for – One Last Night in Paradise. Some extra tix have been put ON SALE for the loyal lovers of our forest disco.”
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Photo via Sam Venn/Secret Garden Festival