‘The beating heart of Dark Mofo’: Festival’s new boss promises the unexpected in scaled-back event
“There will be a few surprises up the sleeve.” Dark Mofo’s new creative director has made a promise to those prepared to brave the cold for this year’s pared-back festival of the gloriously gothic.
Tasmania
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As Hobart makes its annual descent into the gloriously gothic Dark Mofo festival, new creative director Chris Twite has made a special promise: expect the unexpected.
“There will be a few surprises up the sleeve,” he said on Friday, just days before the festival opens for 2024.
“One of the signatures of a Dark Mofo event is we say what we’re doing, but there might be a little bit something extra in there as well.”
Mr Twite has taken over in the festival’s top job from longstanding boss Leigh Carmichael.
He said while 2024 was a “fallow year” for Dark Mofo to recharge and renew before returning in 2025, there would still be plenty of action for locals in the weeks ahead.
“(This year) is a bit of a different beast,” he told reporters In the Hanging Garden, one of the chief venues of this year’s pared-back festival.
“It isn’t the same as previous years – we won’t have the art program, we won’t have the music program, which visitors come and love. That’s what makes Dark Mofo amazing, but this year we still have incredible events like the Winter Feast, which is the beating heart of Dark Mofo.”
Mr Twite said this year would host “one of our best Winter Feasts” ever.
“We’ve changed things up a little bit,” he said.
“The program we’ve created with music and food is incredible down there this year. We’re very excited. There’s a few surprises up the sleeve.”
He said one of those surprises would be a musician playing a “carnyx” – an ancient and extremely long horn used in the Iron Age and often featuring an animal’s head at the end.
Mr Twite said at the Hanging Garden, there would be “food, music and parties” over the entire two weeks, and late into the night.
He said this year would “definitely” be a festival for the locals, rather than interstate and international visitors.
“But we’re also encouraged by the numbers of interstate tourists still – diehard Tasmanian winter fans who are coming down because they make the pilgrimage to the feast every year, the ones who love to come to the (Nude Solstice) Swim and some of our small parties we’re running this year as well,” he said.
Mr Twite said he was already planning for Dark Mofo 2025.
“The brain is always percolating on what will be the next big thing for Dark Mofo, don’t worry,” he said.
As of Monday until the end of June, Hobart businesses, shops and public spaces will officially light up scarlet for the annual celebration of Paint the Town Red.
Run alongside Dark Mofo, the event this year has some 200 businesses registered to ignite their spaces with red lighting and red decorations.
“We expect the city to be lit up red,” Destination Southern Tasmania CEO Alex Heroys said.
“It’s a way for everybody to link themselves to the festival and celebrate winter, and celebrate Dark Mofo and the Winter Feast during that time.”
Mr Heroys said this year, Paint the Town Red was moving statewide, with businesses in Swansea also lighting up, along with Cradle Mountain Lodge, Hastings Caves and Waterfalls Cafe and Gallery at Mt Field.
Dark Mofo will run from June 13 to 23. For more details, visit darkmofo.net.au
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Originally published as ‘The beating heart of Dark Mofo’: Festival’s new boss promises the unexpected in scaled-back event
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