‘Could’ve gone to Europe instead’: Festival-goers’ Esoteric journey ends stranded in chaos

Milling on a dirt road in regional Victoria, music fans were already sweaty and covered in dust when they discovered the Esoteric festival was cancelled. Anger erupted, and Trent Harris-Maher knew he had to get out.

Hours earlier, he was on a festival-organised bus – shirtless and sweltering through broken air-conditioning – on the almost four-hour journey north-west from Melbourne to the town of Donald.

Trent Harris-Maher, pictured at another festival in 2017, had forked out thousands of dollars and travelled from Sydney for the Esoteric festival.Credit: Life Without Andy

He and about 50 other passengers, many with camping gear in tow, arrived at the festival gates about 3.30pm on Thursday along with thousands of other attendees who paid for early entry.

They were meant to get in from midday, but the hours ticked by and the gates remained closed – leaving some festival-goers without shade, water or food.

“We unpacked all the bus with all of our belongings, and then … [we were] just sitting on the side of the road,” said Harris-Maher, a 28-year-old from Sydney.

“Any car that went past, dust would fly up and cover everyone. It was really arid and dry.”

Festival-goers who paid for early entry sat on suitcases and camp chairs on dirt outside the festival gates.Credit: Trent Harris-Maher

Most people sat in their cars, but those who arrived by bus were forced to set up camping chairs or sit on luggage in the 34-degree heat. Anger was rising as rumours swirled about what could be happening inside the festival gates.

“By five o’clock, people were getting drunk because they were getting over it, and just wanted to get in,” Harris-Maher said. “People were getting more violent and more angry towards the whole situation.”

It wasn’t until about 7.30pm that festival organiser Sam Goldsmith announced the five-day Esoteric Psychedelic Circus Festival had been cancelled, posting a statement on Facebook and delivering the news over a megaphone.

Some people had lined up outside the festival gates since early on Thursday morning.Credit: Trent Harris-Maher

Harris-Maher said some people started crying while others were in shock.

“They had no words. Some people were yelling, [saying], ‘What the f--- is this? How can you do that? It’s so immoral’,” he said

“No one really thought that this could ever happen on this scale, not with a big established bush doof like Esoteric.”

Harris-Maher said he and his fiance, Andre Sabino, asked volunteers when the bus – they each paid $180 for the round trip – was coming back and were told it could be hours.

Fearing a potentially dangerous situation if they remained stranded outside the festival gates, they decided to stay overnight at a local campground and organise an $800 private transfer back to Melbourne the next day, Harris-Maher said.

The bus ultimately came about 11am on Friday – although they weren’t notified, he said.

All up, the couple’s festival trip to Victoria cost them about $5000, including a night in Melbourne.

“We could’ve gone to Europe instead … it’s a big hit financially,” Harris-Maher said. “They should have left the buses there if they knew there was a chance it wasn’t going ahead, but they did it anyway and thought it’s fine to just leave these guys on the side of the road for hours.”

Festival organisers were contacted for comment.

Other festival-goers who paid extra for early entry tickets have also expressed frustration.

One person wrote on Facebook: “The financial loss is devastating to some … people come to [Donald] for this event from across the globe.”

Harris-Maher said some people on the bus had travelled from Perth and the UK to attend.

Another said it was “absolutely disgusting on behalf of the organisers”, while others blamed Buloke Shire Council.

In late February, council officers recommended refusing a planning permit for the 2025 Esoteric festival, saying organisers had failed to provide health and safety plans. (Last year, the event made the headlines after 250 attendees reported gastroenteritis symptoms.)

Goldsmith has disputed this, saying he had received approvals from health and emergency services to run the bush rave.

On Monday, shire councillors voted for the festival to go ahead – against the recommendations of council staff.

But on Thursday, it emerged that the shire’s municipal building surveyor had refused the festival’s application for a place of public entertainment occupancy permit. A council spokesperson at the time said the permit was a requirement and “not a decision that can be overturned by councillors”.

Organisers have offered refunds to ticket holders and the option of holding on to their tickets for the 2026 festival. They also announced a consolation event in Melbourne’s north-west on Sunday – but it was of little use to Harris-Maher.

“It was just so sad and disappointing. We just wanted to go home and cut our losses,” he said.

Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.