Rainbow Serpent Festival Saved By Last-Minute Approval

Victoria's renowned dance festival Rainbow Serpent has been saved from cancellation in a last-ditch appeal by organisers.

After a last-minute pulling of the festival looked imminent last week, festival organisers have convinced the council and emergency service providers that the festival will have adequate medical and fire plans in place. The festival was granted the required Place Of Public Entertainment [POPE] license at 3pm today.

The dramatic turn-around comes after the Pyrenees Council Mayor Michael O'Connor told us last week that he 'couldn't see' council changing their mind.

Festival Director Tim Harvey told theMusic.com.au today he was very pleased at the decision and thankful to the council and emergency services.

“We were very nervous Thursday last week, and early Friday. But after the meeting on Friday with council on Friday we were certainly more optimistic. You can never be sure with licenses, but we were hopeful."

He said that the disrupted week hasn't derailed the festival's lead-up.

“Our team were already up there [on site] when this happened and they haven't left, we just put a halt tho things for a while. The enthusiasm and energy is sublime at the moment, and everyone's pitching in and helping out at the moment… there was a cheer at the site when the staff members heard the news.”

Pryrenees Council Mayor Michael O'Connor described the decision as a “fantastic result” to theMusic.com.au. “It's what the council had wanted from the outset,” he said.

The council had originally withheld the POPE after the festival had changed its fire and medical emergency service providers.

“When we met the festival organisers last week we made it quite clear [that they would need to change their plan],” said Mayor O'Connor, “and with the original providers in place we would fast-track [the license].”

He said the decision “speaks highly of the council and of how highly we think of the festival,” and also said it was a “good wake-up call” for the festival organisers in terms of ensuring their emergency services are adequate.

The festival is set to begin as planned this Friday 25 January in Lexton. Had organisers not been able to salvage the situation today, the cancellation of the event and the financial damage that would have occurred could have ended the festival for good. As estimated 10,000 people are set to grace the four-day event.