Organisers of the 2026 Birdsville Big Red Bash have cancelled the music festival after heavy rain left the Big Red site unusable.

“After careful consideration of the available options, we decided that relocating the Birdsville Big Red Bash was not feasible for 2026. We surveyed our patrons to fully understand their feelings about a relocated festival and their attendance intentions,” said event founder and Managing Director of the Outback Music Festival Group, Greg Donovan. 

“The survey achieved an incredible 95 per cent response rate, which provided comprehensive insight into their thoughts and opinions. The decision to cancel this year’s event, whilst difficult, is based on what we believe is in the best interest of the event and patrons.” 

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Ticket holders will have the choice of three options, available until 19 June 2026:

  • Request a refund: Processed immediately by Oztix
  • Transfer tickets: To the 2027 Birdsville Big Red Bash (July 6-8, 2027) – no action required
  • Transfer tickets: To the 2026 Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash (August 20-22, 2026)

“We’ll be doing our part to ensure customer refunds are processed efficiently and importantly supporting Greg and the team to bring the Bash back next year,” said Stuart Field, Oztix Co-Founder and Managing Director. “Its significance on the Australian events calendar is unmatched – as one of the most unique and remote festivals in the world.”

The cancelled 2026 line-up included Missy Higgins, Hoodoo Gurus, The Teskey Brothers, The Living End, Birds of Tokyo, Jessica Mauboy, Shannon Noll, Kate Ceberano, The Whitlams, Tim Finn, Troy Cassar-Daley, Chocolate Starfish, Ross Wilson, Furnace and the Fundamentals, Shane Howard, Wes Carr, Jem Cassar-Daley, Tom Busby and Gypsy Lee.

Held for more than a decade at the foot of Big Red, the festival typically attracts over 10,000 campers to the edge of the Simpson Desert. 

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