Organisers of annual Indigenous music and culture spectacle, Saltwater Freshwater Festival, have confirmed the event will not be going ahead in 2018.
A statement issued to The Music today by the Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance (SWFW), which launched in 2010, confirmed the news.
"… SWFW is committed to offering a high-quality, all-inclusive festival that showcases NSW Aboriginal culture on the Mid North Coast," the statement reads.
"As part of this, for 2018, the Alliance had made the decision to eliminate the $5 entry fee at the festival gates, in order to make the festival truly accessible to all members of the community irrespective of their financial circumstances.
"While some government funding is channelled towards the festival, the majority of its financing relies on the enormous generosity of our sponsors, partners and supporters who are aligned with the mission of Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance.
"Sadly, there were not enough donors available this year to make 2018 possible with our plans to offer a truly free event to the public."
There are plans for the festival to return in 2019, with work to begin mid-next year.
Some musicians who have performed at the festival in recent years include Briggs, Archie Roach and Emma Donovan.
