Mofo curator Brian Ritchie confirms ‘Mini-Mofo’ taster will be held in Launceston from January 12 to 14

HOBART’S Mona Foma festival will expand to Launceston in January — and Pauline Hanson has already received her special invitation.

KANE YOUNG Entertainment EditorEntertainment Editor

less than 2 min read

September 19, 2017 - 5:30PM

HOBART’S hugely popular Mona Foma festival is expanding north, with a “mini-Mofo” planned for Launceston in January.

Mona owner David Walsh indicated in July that Mofo could be held in Launceston in 2019, when the Mona museum site will be unavailable because of construction works.

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Announcing the 2018 dates today, Mofo curator Brian Ritchie confirmed “probably the worst-kept secret in Tasmania”, divulging that a “Mini-Mofo” taster would be held in Launceston from January 12-14 next year.

Brian Ritchie has announced the dates for this summer's Mofo festival. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

“We’re having some very refined ticketed events which have limited capacity, and then we’re gonna have a big inclusive party that will have a great diversity of entertainment,” he said.

“The philosophy has always been to change, expand, move. So we thought, what’s the next frontier?

“In Launceston there’s a lot of great venues, people are ready for it ... and we think it’s a good idea to spread our philosophy wider.

“This is a transitional year. We want to give Launcestonians a taste of what Mofo is, and then we’ll inundate them and subsume them in 2019.”

The philosophy has always been to change, expand, move. So we thought, what’s the next frontier?

After the Launceston jaunt, Mofo 2018 will return to Hobart for four days and nights of events in and around the city (January 15 to 18) before another big “weekend at Walshy’s” onsite at Mona from January 19 to 21.

Mr Ritchie hinted that the 2018 program, which will be announced next month, would feature a diverse array of artists, genres and agendas.

And there’s one Australian politician in particular that Mofo organisers feel could do with a dose of diversity.

A MOFO van with advertising banner inviting Pauline Hanson to MOFO 2018 outside the One Nation senator’s Brisbane HQ. Picture: SUPPLIED

A billboard was parked out front of One Nation senator Pauline Hanson’s Brisbane headquarters yesterday, inviting Ms Hanson to attend Mofo with the message: “We’ve got a transgender rhapsodist, the Muslim Janis Joplin, and maybe some burqa wearing heavy metal guitarists playing at Mofo 2018. You in?”

The Mofo 2018 program will be announced on October 13, with tickets to go on sale three days later.