‘Dance the pain away’: Cancelled festival offers consolation party in Melbourne

Fans of a cancelled regional Victorian music festival will have an opportunity to “dance the pain away”, with a consolation event in Melbourne’s north-west.

The five-day Esoteric Psychedelic Circus Festival was due to begin on Friday in Donald, but was cancelled at the eleventh hour after its organiser’s application for a Place of Public Entertainment Occupancy Permit (PoPE-OP) was denied.

The 2025 Esoteric Festival, which features psychedelic music and art, has been cancelled after it was refused a permit.

Thousands of people had already lined up outside the venue on Thursday night waiting to get in when the cancellation was announced.

The festival organisers have invited ticket-holders to an event at Melbourne Pavilion in Kensington on Sunday, March 9.

“Come and experience international artists who have travelled from around the world to be part of Esoteric 2025,” a social media post late on Friday said.

Organiser Sam Goldsmith said the event was for all the “loyal patrons” who have supported Esoteric and confirmed the event was free for ticket-holders.

“We wanted to give back to the community and to the international DJs that travelled here for the festival,” he said.

“We are extremely grateful to Melbourne Pavilion for helping us pull this together at the last minute and the food vendors that have relocated to the new location.”

Tickets will also be available for purchase at the venue.

DJ Simon Murphy was halfway through his set playing for the staff gathered at Esoteric Festival when he heard the event had been cancelled.

His wife, Cat Timcke, was also planning to run sound-bath workshops at the festival, an event she normally spends a year planning.

Timcke described the cancellation as “absolutely devastating”.

“There is such sadness for all the energy, the love, time and effort that punters have put into preparing for the event as well as the artists, performers and the guys on site that set the whole place up,” she said.

“There’s so much cascade effect that’s going to impact people for weeks and months ahead.”

Timcke said the free event in Melbourne was “wonderful news”.

“I think there’s a lot of people who want to connect,” she said. “You know, we go to these festivals to connect with our friends and other people and experience music … everyone wants that connection still.”

In late February, Buloke Shire Council officers recommended refusing a planning permit for the 2025 Esoteric Festival, saying the event’s organisers had failed to provide health and safety plans. Last year’s Esoteric festival made the headlines after 250 festival goers reported gastroenteritis symptoms.

Goldsmith disputed this, saying he had received approvals from health and emergency services to run the bush rave.

On Monday, Buloke Shire councillors voted for the festival to go ahead, against the recommendations of council staff.

On Thursday it emerged that the shire’s municipal building surveyor had refused the festival’s application for a PoPE-OP

“The POPE-OP is a requirement under the Building Act 1993 and is not a decision that can be overturned by councillors,” a council spokesperson said.

“The decision to refuse the POPE-OP aligns with the concerns raised by council officers in their recommendation to refuse the planning permit application. These include ongoing safety and compliance concerns as well as the lack of adherence to last year’s POPE-OP.”

Esoteric Music Festival has been postponed to 2026.

On social media, festival organisers said they would provide refunds to ticket holders, but also confirmed that 2025 tickets would remain valid for the 2026 festival.

“We will be offering refunds; however, before you request one we seriously encourage you to consider holding on to your ticket so that we can continue crafting the magical experiences we all cherish,” organisers said.

“Esoteric has a place in this world and in our lives; we need your help to keep the dream alive.”

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