Sorrento Fire festival hit with claims of ‘satanic, pagan witchcraft’
Thousands are expected at Sorrento’s free version of the famed Burning Man Festival in Nevada. But not everyone is a fan, amid wild claims of devil worshipping.
South East
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A six metre tall, 2.5 tonne statue of a man will be set alight on the Mornington Peninsula as part of a fire festival celebrating the Winter Solstice.
Thousands are expected to attend the Winter Solstice Fire Night along the Sorrento foreshore on Friday night for fire twirlers, fire cannons, live music, food and drink.
The Burning Man statue will be the event’s centre piece.
Organised by the local business chamber and sponsored by the Mornington Peninsula Shire, the fire festival aims to prove Sorrento is not just a summer destination.
But not everyone is happy about the celebration, which is being promoted as ‘Sorrento’s Nevada” in reference to the famed week-long art and music festival in the US desert.
Conservative objectors lit up social media, slamming the council for supporting “satanic pagan witchcraft”.
“That’s what happens when they remove the Lord’s Prayer from the Mornington Peninsula Shire … demonic rituals,” one man posted.
“Kids have no hope with people like you supporting witches cooking demons in a satanic pagan witchcraft.”
Others took umbrage at the location of the “an extravagant gathering” being funded by ratepayers for “the richies down that end of the peninsula”.
“You don’t get these events in Rye or up further … … it’s a special crew down there,” another posted.
Councillor Susan Bissinger shrugged off the angst.
“These views represent a tiny minority,” she said.
“The event is going to be amazing with thousands coming along to witness the fire in the pitch dark and freezing cold.”
Winter Solstice Fire Night is part of the month long Taste Sorrento Festival created by the Sorrento Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber president Krys Le Marshall said the night was a chance to “embrace the beauty of winter, to come together and celebrate the enchanting allure of our town”.
The fire festival kicks off at 4.30pm on Friday.