Strawberry Fields is back in business for 2021

Words by Will Brewster

Assemble your doof crew.

After tapping out on the festivities last year amid the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, the beloved Strawberry Fields has today announced its return for 2021.

Returning to its spiritual home on the banks of the Mighty Murray near Tocumwal, NSW, this year’s festival will go down a month earlier than usual on the weekend of October 29 – 31, helping to reunite music lovers and inject some cash money into the regional community.

Tickets will be made available through Early Bird and First Round ballots, while the first general public on-sale will open on February 9.

As per usual, Strawberry Fields will be helping to spread the love to punters of all backgrounds with its Low Income Ticket Program, helping socially or economically disadvantaged patrons enjoy the festival by applying for a half-price ticket.

Additionally, festival organisers have announced that they’ll be partnering with social enterprise and ticketing platform Humantix in 2021, with 100% of booking fees being donated towards programs constructed to aid in closing the global education gap.

In light of the COVID-19 scenario, the Strawberry Fields team have also stated that the 2021 festival will include a COVID-19 cancellation fee, with 10% of ticket prices being deducted to cover overheads should a total cancellation be likely.

“We want to bring back the Strawberry you remember. Diverse live music, dancing, the bush spa, swimming, art, workshops and boundary-pushing sustainability initiatives,” Festival Director Tara Benney explained in a statement shared today.

“But let’s not ignore the elephant in the room; the world has changed a little since our last dance. We will be doing everything within our power to plan our most fantastic festival to date and will stay in close contact with planning authorities on how to do that. We will keep you informed as much as possible and will not go forward with an event which doesn’t stay true to our roots.

“If we are forced to cancel due to COVID-19, we will reschedule the festival. Tickets will roll to those new dates. If you cannot make the new dates, you will be guaranteed a 90% refund of your ticket price. We will introduce a 10% COVID-19 cancellation fee to cover the considerable cost of planning & building a damn fine festival all year long.

“We have introduced this policy because insurance companies refuse to provide cover for COVID-19 cancellations. So, if you want your favourite music, arts & camping festivals to return, we need your support to make it happen. As a small collectable token of thanks, we will be giving every ticket holder a limited-edition badge, showing you voted for music & art in 2021.”