Esoteric Festival bites the dust in a $2.8 million swirl of debt

Will Esoteric come back? Music festival enters voluntary administration

Esoteric Festival in Donald goes into administration after permit refusal, leaving thousands stranded. Refunds remain uncertain for ticketholders. Find out more

Esoteric Festival bites the dust in a $2.8 million swirl of debt

Victoria's eight-year-old psychedelic music and arts festival, which locked out punters at the last minute this year, goes into voluntary administration owing millions to ticketholders, contractors and employees.

Esoteric Festival Collapses Into Voluntary Administration With Over A$2.8 Million Owed

Esoteric Festival has gone into voluntary administration after the sudden cancellation of its 2025 event in Donald, Victoria. The company behind it, Esoteric Festival Pty Ltd, owes more than A$2.8 million to ticketholders, suppliers, contractors, and staff. The collapse follows the last-minute revocation of the festival’s occupancy permit by a municipal building surveyor. With 11,000 expected attendees, the permit was pulled just days before gat…