Day on the Green: Revellers stuck in knee-high mud after Geelong festival lashed with heavy rain

Angry attendees of the Day on the Green festival have questioned why the event wasn’t cancelled after vehicles became stuck in a ‘4WD graveyard’ and revellers in ponchos were forced to wade through knee-high mud. 

Revellers aptly renamed the festival a ‘Day on the Brown’ after the Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong was hammered with heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday. 

Hundreds donned ponchos and knee-high gumboots to wade through the thick mud to watch music acts like Crowded House, Angus and Julia Stone and The Waifs. 

Festival-goers said they were left ‘cold, wet and angry’ as they waited for shuttle buses to take them home after the carpark was restricted to owners of 4WD’s.

Attendees donned ponchos and knee-high boots to battle the slippery mud at the festival

Others had no option but to spend the night in their cars and wait for the help of tractors after becoming stuck in the thick bog inside the makeshift carpark.

One attendee asked for help on social media after becoming stuck. 

‘Lots of cars bogged at Mt Duneed estate for the Day on the Green. We can’t find anyone to help get the cars out,’ they wrote. ‘If you can help, please head down’.

Footage of cars being pulled from the bog prompted frustrated attendees to question why the festival wasn’t cancelled despite wild weather warnings. 

‘The organisers have no excuses, there was no reason to not expect that extent of rain,’ one woman wrote. 

‘The organisers should be ashamed, the council cancelled a concert in Melbourne, shame A Day on the Green didn’t feel the same responsibility,’ another said. 

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Revellers donned ponchos and knee-high gumboots in order to wade through the thick mud to watch music acts like Crowded House and Angus & Julia Stone

Concert-goers renamed the festival a ‘Day on the Brown’ after the Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong was hammered with heavy rain and strong winds on Saturday (pictured)

However, other festival-goers were seen making the most of the wild weather with one man using the wet slush as a makeshift slippery slide. 

Another made a ‘mud angel’ in the muck as festivities continued into the night. 

The muddy conditions came as a cold front sweeps through Victoria bringing heavy rain, wind, icy temperatures and even hail to the southern state.

Victoria’s State Emergency Service received about 400 requests for help in 24 hours with the wild weather forecast to continue into Monday. 

Large hail and thunderstorms were due to hit Melbourne on Sunday night or into Monday morning with a severe weather warning issued for dangerous wind. 

Gusts of up to 85 and 90km/h were recorded over parts of Victoria on Sunday with windy conditions and gusts up to 100km/h expected to continue this week.

Festival-goers said they were left ‘cold, wet and angry’ as they waited for shuttle buses to pick them up after the carpark was restricted to owners of 4WD’s

Some attendees chose to spend the night in their cars and wait for the help of tractors after becoming stuck in the thick bog inside the makeshift carpark at the Day on the Green

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Organisers Roundhouse Entertainment said the event continued after ‘extensive consultation’ with stakeholders like police and emergency services. 

‘The consultation continued from Thursday throughout Saturday and for the duration of the show,’ the organisers said in a statement. 

‘This included direct communication between our Safety Officer and the Weather Bureau.

‘At 5pm Friday afternoon, email and SMS communication was sent to all patrons advising parking on-site was restricted to 4WD vehicles only and a free park and ride shuttle service was implemented for patrons to attend and depart the event in a safe manner.

‘We take the safety of our patrons very seriously and work diligently with police, emergency services and other stakeholders to ensure this.

‘All decisions made are done based on the advice to hand.’

Mt Duneed Estate said it was ‘upset’ by the way the weather had impacted the event.

‘The organisers expected last night to be wet, but definitely not to the extent that it became,’ a spokesman said. 

Footage of cars being pulled from the mud prompted frustrated attendees to question why the festival wasn’t cancelled despite the wild weather warnings

Organisers Roundhouse Entertainment said the event continued after ‘extensive consultation’ with stakeholders like police and emergency services