Ahead of its tenth anniversary this year, NSW's Wollombi Music Festival has announced it will ban all Wicked Campers from attending the 2019 event.
The Australian van company, which has been criticised for featuring offensive slogans and graphics on its rental vehicles, will be completely blacklisted from the September festival taking place in the Hunter Valley.
"As a festival we’ve worked hard to not only grow as an event but also as an event dedicated to doing good things in and beyond our community," organisers said in a statement.
"We’re great believers in embracing inclusivity and diversity at Wollombi and creating a space where everyone can feel comfortable, safe and enjoy themselves. Love is the driving value of Wollombi. Love for music, love for the arts and love for each other.
"For years we’ve had concerns about any Wicked Campers turning up at the festival with some of their pathetically unfunny and misogynistic slogans splattered across its panels. We’ve actively discouraged people from hiring them and encouraged patrons to look elsewhere, but this year we’ve decided to ban them full-stop. Not just if a van has a demeaning slogan. If ANY Wicked Camper turns up at the fest they won’t be welcome.
"We’ve stated this on our ticketing page and we’ll let everyone know that Wicked Campers are not welcome.
"We know other events like Splendour have voiced their opposition, but we’re not sure if any other festival has banned them outright. We know we’re small, but any impact we can have on changing the culture of demeaning and abusing women disguised as good fun or an example of free speech we will."
For more details, check out the festival website.
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