Hot Dub Wine Machine festival: Why this ‘disgusting’ Australian music event has been dubbed the new Fyre Festival
Billy McFarland's Fyre Festival is facing some serious competition - over the weekend, Australia’s Wine Machine became the new festival of infamy.
And while it wasn't quite as dramatic as Fyre, where festival goers ended up facing wild pig attacks and slept in FEMA tents, it wasn't exactly the glamorous weekend promised.
Read on...
What is Wine Machine festival?
The festival’s site promised “a full-bodied day of wine, food and live music, showcasing both the splendour of our nation’s most picturesque wine regions and the spectacular music artists borne from Australian soil.”
.@rocheestate @TempusTwoWines getting the #viptreatment #linesfordays surely you can do better than this #winemachine #sux pic.twitter.com/MilYXU7pzE
— Vanessa Moran (@travellingvan)
Instead, guests had to flee mudslides after waiting in hour-long lines for a drink.
A post shared by Brooklyn Ross (@brooklynross) on Mar 24, 2019 at 12:59am PDT
What happened at the Hunter Valley festival this weekend?
Festival-goers thought they were embarking on a weekend of endless Chardonnay and dance music on an elegant estate which regularly hosts events.
The people halfway down this queue have been waiting 45 mins. 1.5 hours for a wine, seems reasonable #hotdubtimemachine #hotdubwinemachine pic.twitter.com/6qKajxE4yr
— sizzlenewy (@sizzlenewy)
Instead, well-dressed millennials, including former Bachelor contestant Sophie Tieman, were met with mudslides, hours-long lines for drinks and the headliner, Hot Dub Time Machine, pulling out at the last minute.
Guests quickly dubbed the day FYRE 2.0 on social media and called the evacuation "disgusting" and "dangerous."
A post shared by STEPHANIE KATE 🌸 (@stephzuffo) on Mar 24, 2019 at 9:36pm PDT
How were people evacuated from the festival during the storm?
The day ended chaotically when thousands of guests were forced to quickly evacuate due to mudslides on Saturday night after a day of failed festival-going. The impromptu evacuation led to unsafe conditions when people stampeded. One man broke his leg.
A group of about twenty people unsuccessfully attempted to hide from the weather in a porta-potty before the official evacuation.
A post shared by Sophie Tieman (@sophie.tieman) on Mar 24, 2019 at 1:29am PDT
Of course, festival organizers can’t control the weather, but guests complained on Twitter that the day began with long lines and a policy that meant only two drinks could be bought at a time.
Sure, I’ll queue an hour for one wine at the wide festival, makes sense #hotdubwinemachine #hotdubtimemachine
Awful pic.twitter.com/lHMGNXXlL0— sizzlenewy (@sizzlenewy)
Even the VIP section reportedly had long snaking queues. That wasn’t the only problem - the sound apparently cut out frequently and guests complained that the food was still frozen.
Also the festival, which claimed it would serve “the best chardy ever,” didn’t have any Chardonnay available.
Cheers @redbull for giving me the energy to run for my life in the storm ⚡️#hotdubwinemachine
A post shared by AMBER STUART (@_amberstuart) on Mar 23, 2019 at 10:59pm PDT
What have festival goers said about Wine Machine in the aftermath?
After the event, those who went demanded refunds for the day - many had spent $150 on tickets. Others reported running for their "lives" from "apocalyptic" conditions.
A post shared by Nicola Hofmeyr (@nicolahofmeyrr) on Mar 23, 2019 at 9:32pm PDT
Much like the wine served at the event, so far it hasn't been a vintage few years for music festivals - unless you happen to be in the litigation game.
Chaos at Wine Machine!!! pic.twitter.com/PFfH8Cb99s
— Gabrielle 🌻 (@Gxbriellemxry)
New York’s Panorama, which was originally billed as the East Coast’s answer to Coachella, was axed for the foreseeable future after being forced to cancel its first day last year because of weather concerns.
But with Coachella and Governors Ball on the way this spring, things could get back on track.
The most recently announced festival in the offing is Woodstock, which is returning to honor the 50th anniversary of the original festival.
Hopefully, it fares better than Fyre Fest, Wine Machine and Woodstock '99.