Ready to shine: Riverboats Music Festival festival director David Frazer preparing for this weekend’s event.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
After postponing the launch of the 2022 Riverboats Music Festival, festival director David Frazer said preparations for the 2023 edition of the festival were running smoothly.
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For the 10 years the event has been running, it has been hosted at Echuca Aquatic Reserve, however impacts to the site from October’s flooding left Mr Frazer with the difficult decision to either move to a new location or cancel the event altogether.
“We had to think about the long-term future of the event,” Mr Frazer said, addressing the decision to move this year’s festival to Victoria Park.
Standing ovation for oval: The new location for the 2023 festival will be Victoria Park.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
“Echuca’s a tourist town, and with fires, flooding and the pandemic, we haven’t experienced a typical tourist summer in four years.
“The Riverboats Music Festival brings in $2.4 million every year, with 70 per cent of our audience being Melburnians.”
Campaspe Shire Council, the mayor and the events team had all been a great support during the venue change, Mr Frazer said.
“It was really difficult to transition to a new location but everyone was a great support, especially the Echuca Cricket Club. They rescheduled games for us so we could host our event, so we are hosting a raffle over the weekend to thank them for their support.”
Setting the stage: The stage is bigger than ever before for this year’s festival.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
The move was difficult. Having hosted the music festival at the Aquatic Reserve for 10 years, event planning felt like muscle memory, Mr Frazer said.
Work in progress: It is a logistical exercise to get the finishing touches complete.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
“We knew where all the taps were, how to get power, where everything was. But Victoria Park was a blank canvas.
“There hasn’t been a major music event here since AC/DC played.
“There is only one tap and we have to supply our own power.”
To cope with this, 10-litre water tanks have been placed around the field with trucks ready to fill them up.
Mr Frazer also had to consider the weather, as Friday is forecast to reach 40°C, with 32°C temperatures expected at the weekend. Misting fans, accessible cold water and ample shade will be available for all patrons at the festival.
Beat the heat: The events team is setting up the 150 marquees that will scatter Victoria Park.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
A big focus for the event team was the “zero waste” policy, Mr Frazer said.
Cutlery and plates will all be washed and returned to the dishwashing station before making their way back to the food trucks, while water will be canned to minimise single-use plastic waste.
Busy: Workers setting up marquees at Victoria Park.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
There are still tickets available to purchase prior to the event, as well as being available at the gate on the day.
For more information or to book tickets for this weekend’s Riverboats Music Festival, visit riverboatsmusic.com.au
Taking shape: The Riverboats Music Festival 2023 stage.
Photo by
Steve Huntley
28°C