FAQs

Yes. The 2027 Birdsville Big Red Bash, 6–8 July 2027, is the final edition. After 13 years, the Donovan family has made the decision to bring the event to a close and give it a proper farewell.

After battling site inundation from a huge outback rain event in early 2026, rising costs, recent weather challenges and the extraordinary logistical demands of staging a festival at the world’s most remote festival site, the Donovan family have made the difficult decision to call time on the Big Red Bash. Read the full story, or watch Greg explain the decision.

6–8 July 2027, at the same location: near the Big Red dune on the edge of the Simpson Desert, 35km west of Birdsville, Queensland.

Missy Higgins, Hoodoo Gurus, The Living End, Birds of Tokyo and many more. See the full lineup

Bureau of Meteorology evaporation data and scientific modelling forecast the site to be dry by late February 2027, leaving months for the ground to dry out and firm up. We update our Evaporation Watch every month.

The desert takes back far more than it receives. Birdsville averages around 160mm of rain a year, while the average annual open water evaporation rate is around 3,500mm. October to February are the peak evaporation months, with a long term average of 2,003mm across those five months, against an estimated 1,860mm left in the deepest sections of the site. Locals who know the land are confident too. As Greg puts it: “What I keep being told by locals who know the land is ‘she’ll be right mate’. We’ll even pump it out if we have to!”

On our Evaporation Watch. It tracks the modelled water depth and monthly evaporation at the festival site, and we update it every month. You can also drag through the months to watch the water go down.

Full refunds will be made if the event cannot proceed.

10am AEDT, Thursday 12 November 2026. You’ll be able to pay in full, or secure your tickets with a deposit and pay further instalments from March 2027. Register your interest to hear first.

Yes. Tickets that weren’t refunded or transferred by 19 June 2026 were automatically transferred to the 2027 Big Red Bash. You don’t need to do anything.

The Mundi Mundi Bash in Broken Hill continues and becomes the sole focus of the Outback Music Festival Group after 2027. More at mundimundibash.com.au.

Yes. Volunteer applications for 2027 will open in due course. Details will go to our mailing list and to everyone on the Bash Volunteers database.

Check out the First Timers Guide.

The Big Red Bash is in the Aussie outback. See What to Bring for tips on what to pack (and what to leave at home).

Yes, the Big Red Bash is a family-friendly event with a range of activities for kids. Each child needs a ticket: Youth (5–17 years) or Child (0–4 years).

Yes, the Big Red Bash is dog friendly. Display a Dog Friendly Campsite sticker on your windscreen when you roll into Bashville. You can collect it at the Ticket Office when you exchange your e-tickets. No further dog registration is needed. See Dog Attendance Rules.

Our festival merchandise is available from the Merchandise Tent at the Big Red Bash. EFTPOS and cash are accepted. Some items sell fast, so get in early!

Usually mild, averaging between 6–21°C. Temperatures can range from near zero at night to 30°C during the day, so come prepared for both. See Weather and What to Bring.

Birdsville has very limited internet connectivity. Download your e-tickets to your phone, or print a copy, before you arrive.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know. In the meantime, see Vehicle passes for the 2027 roll-in dates.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know. In the meantime, see Vehicle passes for the 2027 roll-in dates.

No. Camping passes work from a date, not on a date. With Camping from Saturday you can roll in on Saturday 3 July or any day after.

No. If you have a camping sticker, Day Parking is included and you don’t need to buy an additional Day Parking sticker. The Day Parking pass is for people staying in Birdsville town.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know. In the meantime, see Vehicle passes for the 2027 roll-in dates.

Yes. When tickets go on sale you’ll be able to pay in full, or secure your tickets with a deposit and pay further instalments from March 2027.

Capacity is limited and this is the final Big Red Bash, so we’re expecting very high demand. Register your interest and have your details ready before 12 November.

Your wristband allows unlimited entry and exit from the concert area and Bashville site, so passouts aren’t needed. Strict restrictions apply to vehicle movements inside the campground: your car stays at your campsite until roll-out.

No, groups can book in separate orders. This has no bearing on camping together. To camp as a group, arrive in convoy so you’re allocated sites next to each other.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

Yes, anyone can exchange a valid e-ticket for a wristband on your behalf. E-tickets can only be scanned once, and wristbands can’t be replaced if lost or stolen, so only pass your e-ticket to someone you trust.

No. We’re unable to reissue or replace wristbands, so treat yours like cash.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

As per the terms and conditions, tickets may not be resold unless at the point of sell-out via an official resale facility.

Oztix is the only authorised ticket seller. Tickets bought from any other source aren’t guaranteed to be genuine.

Yes. Contact us to arrange this. You’ll need to show proof of your Companion Card before being sent a private link to the complimentary ticket.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

35km west of Birdsville, Queensland, on the edge of the Simpson Desert. We call the festival site “Bashville”.

See Transport Options for getting to Birdsville. From Birdsville, head west on Adelaide Street and continue for 35km to Bashville. See Directions to Bashville.

No, you can reach Birdsville and the Big Red Bash by 2WD. If you’d like to explore the desert on the way, you’ll get further with a 4WD. See our Travel Guides and Outback Driving tips.

No, please don’t. There’s no need to queue early. Campsites are filled based on efficiency, with several rows filled at once, so arriving right when the gates open doesn’t get you a front-row spot. Early queues just create long traffic jams for everyone. Roll in any time during gate hours and you’ll get a great campsite.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know. In the meantime, see Vehicle passes for the 2027 roll-in dates.

Yes, you can stay in Birdsville and come out each day (35km). You’ll need to purchase a Day Parking pass, which lets you use Day Parking from Monday 5 July. See Vehicle passes.

Birdsville has basic facilities including fuel, groceries, the pub, a bakery, post office, police, medical clinic and tourist information. See Birdsville Facilities.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know. In the meantime, see Vehicle passes for the 2027 roll-in dates.

All campsites are at least 100m², larger than your average caravan park site. We expect 99% of setups will fit, and a few larger sites are available for big rigs. See Camping at Bashville.

Yes, but you need to arrive at Bashville together. You can’t save a spot for a later arrival, so meet in Birdsville and drive in convoy.

Campsites are allocated on arrival. They’re filled based on efficiency rather than strictly front to back, with several rows filled at once to keep traffic moving. Arriving right when the gates open doesn’t guarantee a front-row spot, so there’s no need to queue early.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know. In the meantime, see Vehicle passes for the 2027 roll-in dates.

Yes, campfires are permitted. Bring your own firewood, as collecting it from the surrounding private property is prohibited. Keep fires to a reasonable size, never leave a fire unattended, and put it out with water, not sand.

No, all sites at the Big Red Bash are unpowered.

Yes, but only between 8am and 8pm. If you need to run medical equipment overnight, make sure it runs off a battery that can be charged during the day.

Drones and UAVs, kites, fireworks, chainsaws and power tools, weapons (including firearms and whips), unauthorised selling of goods and services, and unregistered vehicles. Please don’t bring glass: the only glass at Bashville should be condiment jars in your camp kitchen. See Bashville Camp Rules.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

The 2027 lineup is out now. The performance schedule will be announced closer to the event.

As well as a jam-packed lineup of iconic Aussie artists, there’s plenty of other entertainment. See Activities.

Yes. Please drink responsibly. No BBQs, and eskies of a reasonable size only.

Water and non-alcoholic drinks, cans or casks of alcohol (no glass), snacks, an esky of reasonable size (off-road wheels recommended), a chair no taller than 110cm when seated, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, and warm clothes and a blanket for night time.

Glass, metal cutlery, umbrellas, aerosols, and tables, sunshades, tents or anything that blocks views of the stage. No animals, except dogs in the allocated area. Bags are checked on entry and prohibited items will be confiscated.

No. There’s no smoking or vaping anywhere in the concert area. Go outside and at least 10m from the boundary fence to smoke.

Yes, there are bins in the plaza and concert area for rubbish, cans and PET plastic bottles. They’re for pedestrian use only, so no campsite rubbish. See Facilities.

We welcome patrons with a disability and accessibility requirements. The Big Red Bash is held in a remote area, but we do our best to provide facilities and assist in any way possible. Special assistance is available to patrons with a government-issued disability parking permit. See Patrons with a Disability to register.

To register online you’ll need to upload a government-issued mobility permit. If you don’t have one, get in touch and we’ll see what we can do.

Yes, get in touch and we can organise a free Companion Card ticket for you.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

No, it’s a BYO event and no alcohol is sold on site. The Birdsville Pub is the closest place to buy takeaway alcohol, so call in on the way to Bashville.

No, please bring your own. Birdsville town has drinking water available from various locations.

Yes. Can and PET plastic bottle recycling bins are in the Plaza and Concert Area, and we also recycle pizza boxes and collect food scraps for compost. Please separate your cans, bottles, cardboard and food scraps. There’s no glass recycling, so please don’t bring glass. See Facilities.

No. There’s no glass recycling at the Big Red Bash, so please leave glass at home. The only glass you should have on site is condiment jars in your camp kitchen. Bring drinks in cans, casks or plastic instead.

Yes. Almost all our food vendors take EFTPOS, and the Merchandise Stand has EFTPOS with cash out. That said, cash is gold in the outback, so we always recommend bringing some as a back-up.

Yes. Queensland Ambulance provides a comprehensive medical facility at Bashville, integrated with RFDS and the Birdsville Primary Health Centre. See Emergency.

No, so bring all the medication you’ll need for the whole trip.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

At the Info Tent at Bashville or in Birdsville. After the event, unclaimed lost property is handed to the Birdsville Police Station.

Unfortunately, we can’t refund ticket holders who choose to sign on to volunteer.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

More details coming soon. We’re confirming the details for 2027 and will update this answer before tickets go on sale. Register your interest and we’ll let you know.

No. If you want to camp next to a friend, meet in Birdsville and roll into the campground together.

Volunteers and anyone travelling in a volunteer’s vehicle. Friends or relatives who aren’t volunteering and aren’t in a volunteer’s vehicle camp in the regular campsite.

In the dog camping area. You must follow the dog attendance rules.

Every volunteer must sign on and off for each shift at Event Control, unless your shift manager says otherwise.

Water (2L minimum per day), sun protection, personal medication, your crew handbook, a head torch and spare batteries, snacks, and a warm jacket, rain jacket, beanie and layers. Check with your team manager for any extra gear for your shift.

Following unprecedented rainfall and flooding across the region in late February and early March 2026, the festival site was inundated and could not dry in time for the event to be held safely. Options for relocating the festival within the Birdsville region were carefully explored but found to be infeasible.

If you didn’t request a refund or transfer by 19 June 2026, your tickets were automatically transferred to the 2027 Big Red Bash (6–8 July 2027). You don’t need to do anything.

The refund and transfer window closed on 19 June 2026. Standard Terms & Conditions now apply.

Your remaining instalments were paused and rescheduled for 2027. The three remaining instalments will be charged on 23 March, 20 April and 18 May 2027, and you’ll get an email reminder before each one.

Volunteers could roll their shifts over to the 2027 Big Red Bash or cancel. All volunteers were emailed by Bash Volunteers with instructions. If you need to get in touch, contact us.

Koolaz offered the same options as ticket holders: a refund, or a transfer to the 2027 Big Red Bash or the 2026 Mundi Mundi Bash. For anything about your order, contact Koolaz via koolazice.com.au.