Pitch Music and Arts Festival tells patrons it’s ‘safest to leave’ amid extreme fire warning

Organisers for a sold-out Aussie festival told attendees they’re advised to leave or not come “until further notice”.

Organisers for a sold-out Victorian music festival who told patrons they should leave due to extreme fire danger now say a truncated version of the event will go ahead.

The Pitch Music and Arts Festival, held near Moyston in the state’s southwest, told ticket holders last night “the safest option for those who are already on site is to leave the site tonight or early in the morning”.

“If you are arriving on Saturday we recommend delaying your arrival until further notice,” the message read.

“The forecast tells us to expect hot weather each day of the festival. In addition, overnights will also be warm.

“To clarify, there are currently no active fires in the region. Please refer to the Emergency Vic website for updates.”

Just after midday today, the festival issued an update saying that after consultation with authorities the show would go on from 6pm on Saturday.

“For those yet to arrive at the festival, we advise you to follow the CFA directions of delaying your travel,” it said.

“We are diligently following the guidance of relevant authorities to prioritise the safety of our community and have a full team of emergency services including medical, police and on site fire response who are on call throughout the event.”

The festival posted a list of recommendations.

Performances were due to start at 11:30am this morning.

About 18,000 people were expected to attend over the course of the three-day event.

Temperatures are expected to reach 36 degrees in the area on Saturday.

A four-day pass to the sold out event costs $518, with glamping packages ranging up to $2,400.

Pitch told customers last night that free shuttle buses would be running to Ararat on Saturday for anyone wanting to leave.

It says those buses would run until 6pm tonight.

It also told people with bus passes to the festival on Saturday those services had been delayed to 9am Sunday.

Trains from Ararat to Melbourne are running on an extreme heat timetable today, with just three trains and three buses scheduled to leave for the state capital.

The first message to patrons sparked an angry reaction from some. There are calls for refunds while others have been busy trying to sell – or buy – tickets to the event.

“So crook to post this whilst many people at the festival wouldn’t have wifi access,” one person wrote on the festival’s Instagram post.

Pitch Music and Arts Festival is in its seventh year.

Another said: “This is so vague and unclear.”

Pitch said in its updated statement it would consider calls for refunds.

“Regarding refund inquiries, we appreciate your patience as we work through the specifics. Rest assured, ticket holders will receive an update as more information becomes available,” it said.

“Please come prepared for the heat, take care of yourself and look out for your friends.”

Several people have criticised the hesitation to make a clear decision about whether the festival would go ahead, saying it has created confusion.

“There has been an extreme heat warning for days now and you have not made a call. Issue refunds if they say the advice is not to come,” one said.

“Leaving it up to attendees is irresponsible and puts all the CFA hard work and small town resources to waste.”

That was echoed by another Instagram user who said organisers needed to show strong leadership for the safety of those in attendance.

“Strongly advising people not to come but keeping the festival open despite the warnings that have been present throughout the week is not good enough.”

One member of the social media page Songs Heard at Pitch made light of the situation with by sharing a link to the Clash’s classic track “Should I Stay or Should I Go”.

“ID for anyone at Pitch or waiting to enter,” he wrote.

Footage shared on Snapchat on Friday night showed a crowd of revellers dancing along to music.

Weather forecasts show extreme heat from SA to Tasmania and up to the ACT. Picture: BSCH

Artist Bailey Ibbs shared on his Instagram on Friday night that he was “gutted” after being told his 2:30am set was cancelled.

“If you’re planning on going to Pitch, please check their latest posts and advice,” he wrote.

Vast swathes of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania are under heatwave conditions, with major cities including Adelaide and Melbourne punished with temperatures pushing towards the forties.

Melbourne could see three consecutive days from Saturday onwards of 38C or higher temperatures – something that hasn’t been seen since 1942.