The troubled Pitch Music & Arts Festival has been shut down as Victoria’s heatwave continues and Police have confirmed one death from the festival, due to an overdose.
Victoria has had three days over 39 degree heat (over 100 degrees F) across Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Pitch Music & Arts Festival, in the Grampians is in the middle of an Extreme Fire Danger alert and a Total Fire Ban. The festival site was about 40 kilometres from where a major fire has broken out and the 18000 attendees have limited mobile reception.
In a statement, Pitch organisers posted:
EVENT CANCELLATION UPDATE:
→ Music at Pitch Music & Arts has concluded.
→ Patrons have been advised to calmly pack up and make their way home slowly when they’re ready to do so.
→ We’ve encouraged anyone driving to get breath tested at BMFHQ before leaving the festival site.
→ Some may choose to leave tomorrow if travelling by bus or if they wish to get a good sleep first.
→ Additional free bus services are available from Gate 2 tomorrow where patrons can also be picked up.
→ Currently, there is a steady flow of people safely exiting the festival, and crowd care, medical, staff, food vendors, security will all remain operational until everyone has exited the festival tomorrow.
The Pitch Music & Arts Team
Meanwhile a man in his 20s has died after a suspected drug overdose at the Pitch Music & Arts Festival. The man was airlifted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in a critical condition but died later. Two other men, aged 20s and 30s, were also taken to hospital after suspected overdoses at the festival. Tow men in their 30s and 40s from the Esoteric Festival were also taken to hospital for treatment for overdoses.
We are deeply saddened to learn this evening that one of our People of Pitch has passed away after being airlifted to The Alfred hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning. Our thoughts are with their family, friends and anyone in our wider community affected by this.
We are devastated that this has occurred at an event where community has been a driving force over the last seven years.
We understand that the timing of this news will be upsetting for festival-goers who are currently safely exiting the event, as well as friends & family at home.
Reconfirming we have our Crowd Care team on site to support patrons and staff, and our priority right now remains to get everyone home safely.
We cannot comment further at this time, and have turned off all comments, out of respect and to protect the privacy of those affected.
The Pitch Music & Arts Team.
@dannysrants Should you go or not go? What are the dangers? And whats axtually happening. #clubbing #nightclubs #nightlife #pitch #pitchmusicandarts #festival #festivalseason #musicfestival #pitchmusic2024 ♬ original sound – DannyRants
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