This weekend's impending Red Deer Music & Arts Festival will be a bittersweet affair with the news that the festival's organisers have decided to call it a day for the event following the conclusion of 2017's festivities.
The BYO festival and sleepover party has been a cult-favourite affair for the better part of the past 10 years, but all good things must come to an end, festival director Bas Pelly said in a statement from he and his co-directors Sean Graham and Julian De Maria.
"For almost a decade now the three of us have put absolutely everything into this event, and feel now is the right time to hang up our hooves," Pelly said. "We have loved growing our little festival over the years, but now we are looking forward to spending more time with our families.
"From shovelling cow dung to partying with some of the best bands that Australia has ever produced, Red Deer has been an amazing roller-coaster ride that we'll never forget.
"We will miss the feeling we get watching the whole festival come together just in time for the yearly migration and buzz of every small victory amongst a million tiny challenges. But mostly we'll miss our amazing fans, to which we owe our every success."
This weekend's festival will feature performances from the likes of The Preatures, The Kite String Tangle, Kingfisha, Band Of Frequencies, Shag Rock, Transvaal Diamond Sydnicate, Pink Matter, MEZKO, Leanne Tennant and heaps more, and there are still limited camping, day passes and VIP tickets available for the event.
"This Saturday is now our swan song," Pally said. "It is the one chance we have to send Red Deer off with a bang … So come join the herd for one last hurrah and let's give the Deer the send-off it deserves!"
The final Red Deer festival goes down at Mt Samson this Saturday, 14 October. Don't forget to bring your booze, couches and mates.
