The world-class music and arts festival won’t be happening on the Sapphire Coast this year.
Founder, Simon Daly, told East Coast Radio there were two main reasons organisers decided to move Wanderer to a biennial festival format (to run every other year).
“We are reliant on government support each year and at the completion of each event, there’s a lot of processes we go through to ensure we’ve ticked all the boxed and that takes time,” Daly said.
“What it means is that we don’t have access to longer term planning schedules the international artists that we’d really love to bring here,” he said.
“Even now all of the internationals that we’ve been looking at have already announced their tours this year, and their timeframes are swallowed up, so we’re always going to be caught a long way short.”
Dates for the next Wanderer Festival are 3rd-5th October 2025 with Mr Daly reinforcing that the extra prep time will be put to good use and the team are already working on bringing the best ever Wanderer Festival next year.
“I think going every second year from now on, adds to the excitement, and it gives people a chance in the year off to go and do other things, and then adds to the anticipation and ensures we have really healthy crowds each event,” Daly said.
Speaking of crowds, previously they have been capped at around 9,000 and Mr Daly said that cap will continue to keep the event intimate, although it could be raised a little.
“Really keen to keep the festival feeling how it feels, so it will be capped again,” he said.
As for if anything will happen in the non-concert year Mr Daly said they’re working on something.
“We’ve been toying with the idea doing an installation of the Big Lost Band (a gigantic rock band with 120 plus members of local musicians from all walks of life that have workshops and pick a few songs to perform),” Daly said.
“Whether that’s on the dates of Wanderer or at the Pambula Village Vibes festival, there’s a bit to be worked out there but keen to do something with the local community and local musicians.”
Images: Wanderer Festival
