Heatwave causes chaos at Pako Festa 2025

Extreme heat has caused chaos at one of the state’s biggest multicultural festivals, with paramedics inundated with health concerns following a Saturday scorcher in Geelong.

Extreme heat has forced an early closure of Pako Festa today, with paramedics “run off their feet” with health concerns following a Saturday scorcher in Geelong.

It’s understood many stall holders were told to pack up by 2pm as the mercury soared past 34 degrees in Geelong West, with a top of 39 expected at 4pm.

Event organiser and Cultura chief executive officer, Joy Leggo, said they had become
“very concerned” for the public’s safety before making a “tough decision” to end the event early.

“It has just got too hot and we are concerned for performers on stages, stall holders and the thousands of people here in the heat,” she said.

“The volunteers of St Johns Ambulance have been run off their feet with people struggling in the heat, so we need to take all this into consideration.

“I know a lot of people will be disappointed but this is a public safety decision.”

A spokeswoman at St Johns Ambulance Victoria confirmed an increase in numbers attending first aid at Victoria’s largest free multicultural street festival, which has again attracted thousands of punters to Pakington St.

Festivities were originally planned to run until 5pm.

More than 40 performances were expected from 12.30pm across five outdoor stages showcasing live music, cultural dance, and entertainment.

“We are just asking everyone to pack up in an orderly fashion, an event this size cannot just be shut down in half an hour,” Ms Leggo said.

“We want to do the right thing.”

Ambulance Victoria confirmed that paramedics responded to two incidents in Geelong West today. Ambulances brought two people to Geelong hospital in stable conditions.

The event’s Pako Parade kicked at 11am, with more than 50 floats and 2000 people participating from across cultures and community groups.

It was well-attended, with families lining Pakington St. More than 25 local community groups set up stalls serving traditional dishes, from Brazilian BBQ to Filipino pork skewers.

The parade was again gate crashed by a small group of pro-Palestinian protesters for the second year in a row, with the demonstrators receiving a mostly positive response.

Event organisers had displayed a banner behind the final marchers in the parade, a group of firefighters, which read “we have reached the end of the TAC Pako Fest Street Parade”.

The pro-Palestine group began marching behind the sign after waiting nearby.

Pro-Palestine demonstrators marched at the end of Pako Festa's parade in Geelong West for the second year in a row, seeing a mixed reaction with some cheers and some jeers. Photo: Brendan Kearns.

Numbering about ten, the group wore keffiyehs and watermelon emblazoned clothing.

One wore a Che Guevara T-shirt, while another held a copy of a socialist newspaper.

They held placards calling for “Peace in the Middle East” and to “Stand with Palestine”.

The group received a mostly positive reaction, getting claps, cheers, waves and fist pumps as they marched the parade route, surrounded by police on all sides.

But it was not all positive, with a few members of the crowd trying to disrupt the group, and one woman shouting “free the hostages” in response to a chant of “free, free, free Palestine”.

One member of the group was handing out jellybeans in the colour of the Palestinian flag – red, white and black.

The group similarly attended the parade in 2024, that time holding signs that read “Marles US and Israeli puppet”, “Labor condoning genocide” and “cease fire now”.

At the time Anti-Defamation Commission chair Dvir Abramovich said it was “shameful” that the group participated in the march.

Originally published as Heatwave causes chaos at Pako Festa 2025