Bashville is located on private property, the organic cattle station Adria Downs. Camping is not usually permitted and we’re privileged to have the land-owner’s permission to hold the Big Red Bash on this beautiful patch of desert.
The camping arrangements and rules outlined on this page, as well in the Bashville Camp Rules, ensure the safety and comfort of everyone on site, and also help us take care of this unique, organic property.
Camping is included in the cost of your ticket and is permitted for four nights: Tuesday 2nd to Friday 5th July (depart by midday Saturday 6th July).
Entry & Exit Times
Your Vehicle Entry Pass determines the dates & times that you can come and go from the Bashville campground. Re-entry is not permitted after you’ve rolled out of the festival grounds.
To find out what is allowed for your ticket, check the information below.
Arrival at Bashville
You’ll only be allowed to enter the campground during the permitted “roll in” dates & times. (see above). If you arrive at the gate on the wrong day, or outside of the permitted time, you won’t be allowed in.
During busy times allow at least 2 hours to drive between Birdsville and Bashville. Make sure you’ve picked up your vehicle pass and wristbands from Ticketing in Birdsville town before you drive to Bashville.
Campsites
At the Big Red Bash campsite boundaries are marked out, similar to a caravan park. You’ll receive a minimum of approx. 90m2 per vehicle. Shapes of campsites will vary slightly, but most will be around 13.5m x 6.75m.
You’ll be camping on the dry, level lake bed east of Big Red. The campground is suitable for most vehicles including motorhomes & caravans. Caravans with some off-road capability are best suited, however if you’ve made it to Birdsville, your vehicle will be okay in the campground.
We expect that 99% of setups will fit in the generous campsite allocation, however if your big-rig physically doesn’t fit, we will have a few larger sites available.
For more info on camping, see the FAQ page.
Camping and Caravan Fire Safety
To prevent the risk of a fire spreading in the campsite, you must place all structures at least 1 metre from the back and side boundaries of your campsite. Guy ropes can protrude another 40cm. Marshals will enforce this rule.
The fire services recommend this simple safety checklist to assist you in having a safer trip.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME
- Install a smoke alarm close to the sleeping area in your caravan.
- Test your fire alarm before leaving on holiday,
- Consider having a fire extinguisher and fire blanket near the exit as well.
- Before you leave home, ensure that you turn off any pilot lights in your caravan.
WHILE TRAVELLING
- Gas cylinders on caravans should be external and secure, with valves facing away from the van.
- Regularly check your gas pipes and connectors. Make sure they are in good working order, particularly after driving on country roads.
AT THE BASH
- Make sure you know how to get help in the event of a fire in Bashville and be familiar with the emergency evacuation points marked on the Festival Map.
- Keep heaters away from the internal fittings in caravans.
- Have a portable FM radio and tune in to BashFM to stay updated on changing weather conditions and fire restrictions that may be in force.
- Never leave cooking unattended and always secure any matches and lighters.
- Turn off any lanterns and extinguish campfires (with water not sand) before going to bed.
CAMPING IN A TENT
- Consider buying a flame retardant tent.
- Never cook or smoke in tents.
- Locate campfires a safe distance from any tents.
More information is available on the NSW Fire + Rescue website.
Group Camping
If you’d like to camp as a group with other vehicles, you’ll need to arrive at the Big Red Bash site together. Meet in Birdsville and drive in convoy to Bashville, you won’t be able to save a spot for a later arrival.
See the diagram above for more details on group campsite layout.
Camping with a disability
We welcome patrons with a disability or accessibility requirements and will support your attendance in any way we can. Please note, you will need to register online if you would like to camp in the disability camping area, and to access other disability services.
See Patrons with a Disability to find out more and register online.
Camping with a Dog
The Big Red Bash is a dog-friendly event, and camping with dogs is permitted in the dog-friendly camping area. For more information please see the Dog Attendance Rules.
Bashville CAMP Rules
Everyone on site, including campers, must follow the Bashville Camp Rules. Make sure you’re familiar with these – some require planning before you leave home.
Departing Bashville
Roll out goes from 7am Friday 5th July, until midday Saturday 6th July. Those rolling out on Saturday can camp at Bashville on Friday night at no extra charge.
For those staying on Friday night: toilets & grey water disposal will be available until midday Saturday 6th July. However, all other facilities, including food vendors and Bashville medical centre, will no longer be available. Food vendors will stop serving after breakfast on Friday morning.
Avoiding Roll Out Queues
During the busiest period of roll out we clear about 1 vehicle every 8 seconds. That’s an impressive feat of logistics by our awesome team of volunteer marshals! However with over 3000 vehicles, if everyone tried to leave at once it would still take over 7 hours! That’s why we have a long roll out period from Friday morning until midday Saturday.
Those leaving on Friday morning should expect a wait of at least two or three hours. So, if you don’t want to wait in line, your best option is to plan your departure for Friday afternoon after about 1pm, or Saturday morning. If this doesn’t suit, you could purchase an Early Exit Pass allowing you to roll out Thursday afternoon and camp the night in Birdsville.
Transfer Bus
There will be a privately operated transfer bus service to and from Birdsville, which is a great option if you’d like to take a trip to town during the festival. Pricing and timetable for the 35km trip will be released closer to the event.
See Transfer Bus for further details.
Early Entry Camping Pass
You can purchase an Early Entry Camping Pass if you want to camp at Bashville earlier than general ticket holders, and take advantage of our exclusive pre-festival entertainment including kid-friendly comedy shows, big screen movie nights and the early entry band!
See Early Entry Camping Pass for further details.
Early Exit Pass
You can purchase an Early Exit Pass, which allows you to pack up and leave the Bashville campground earlier than general ticket holders on the last day of the festival (see the above table). 100% of the proceeds from the purchase of Early Exit Passes are donated to RFDS and there’s a limited amount available.
See Early Exit Pass for further details.
