Chapel St Festival indefinitely postponed by organisers amid permit issues

Plans to resurrect an iconic festival on one of Melbourne’s most well known shopping strips have been postponed indefinitely, despite $450,000 injection from the government.

The iconic Chapel St Festival, set to be revived in February has been cancelled by organisers.

The revival of an iconic festival on one of Melbourne’s most well known shopping strips has been postponed indefinitely.

The Chapel St Festival was set to return to the famed South Yarra strip in February, however a statement from the Chapel St Precinct Association has confirmed the festival has been put on ice.

“The event will no longer be proceeding on February 23,” the statement read.

“We remain dedicated to bringing this exciting celebration to life at a later date.

“The decision reflects our determination to create a festival that not only meets but exceeds expectations for our vibrant community.”

The Chapel St Precinct Association (CSPA) won a $450,000 funding grant from the state government in 2023 to revive the festival more than two decades after it was last held.

The Herald Sun understands the CSPA had only received $100,000 of the promised grant to date.

The City of Stonnington council issued a statement saying it did not manage the festival.

“It is wholly owned and organised by the Chapel Street Precinct Association (CSPA), an independent organisation.

“In late December, CSPA’s President advised council of his resignation.

City of Stonnington Council said the CSPA had decided to cancel the festival prior to any permit being approved.

“Council has reached out to the remaining CSPA committee members seeking clarification on the festival’s status. We are still awaiting a response.’’

The Herald Sun understands the postponement came amid permit approval issues.

Council Watch’s Dean Hurlston said “the public wasn’t being told the truth”.

“If the council wasn’t going to issue a permit, they should have dealt with this months ago,” he said.

“Councils are meant to be enablers, to be the servants of the people – not autocratic dictators.

“What do traders have to do – do they just shut down the street themselves and rally for community support?”

A council spokesman has since said the cancellation came before any permit decision.

“The CSPA took the decision to cancel the festival before any decision was taken by Council on the issuing of a permit,” they said.

 

The festival cancellation has left traders like Alison Baker — owner of Alison’s Corner Shop and Bread — desperate for a boost in foot traffic along the shopping strip.

“We need every opportunity we can get to expose us to more people and get people coming to the area,” she said.

“Small businesses here have been hit really hard with the cost of living crisis, it’s a real shame.”

Ms Baker, who has been trading in the Chapel St precinct for 14 years, said she couldn’t “make sense of the decision”.

 

The Chapel St Festival was set to be held in February 2025.

“I don’t get it, the Lygon Street Festa gets everyone together and people come from miles away to celebrate it,” she said.

“It would have been great, it would have brought people into the area.”

Ms Baker said it was difficult to not feel disenchanted by the festival’s cancellation.

“It feels like the council do nothing but stand in the way of small businesses,” she said.

“It’s extremely misleading for the council to say the CSPA is an entirely independent association — it’s totally dependent on the whims of the council for their funding.”