Can people with disability visit Australian Music Festivals? YES!
Australian Music Festivals have made huge improvements in their disability access over recent years. A decade ago, things were difficult. But now, organizers have improved, investing in access, transport, toilets, designated viewing areas, accommodation and more.
So if you love music festivals, why not go? It will be a great adventure.
When you book an organised disability tour of an Australian Music Festival, you get the level of support you need. This means you don’t have to worry about:
- tickets
- access
- accommodation
- transport
- itineraries
- troubleshooting
We do the worrying for you, so your only job is to have fun. Being part of a group makes it more adventurous, and we have a ‘party together, chill privately’ policy.
Your travel leader does the work, so you enjoy the party.
Will make sure you have a great time at your festival! Our jolly team of support crew will make everything happen, so you don’t have to worry about all the admin that’s required. When you book with us you get specialist in disability travel at Australian Music Festivals. We know where to stay , how to move around and the best venues for accessibility and entertainment. Our experts have visited these events for years and are here to share our knowledge of the best acts, restaurants, bars and other activities. We know the organisers too, so we know who to call t get problems fixed and promises kept.
Meet and greet with the artists? Fingers crossed.
We can’t make any guarantees, but we do our best to arrange meet and greets with the artists — and we have a pretty good success rate at many top Australian music festivals. We’ve arranged for passengers to meet Lee Kernaghan, Chad Morgan, Adam Harvey and many others. Obviously, artists are pretty busy during the festivals, but we reach out and make ourselves known. Many are happy to stop by to say g’day.
It’s all about confidence.
Sometimes, people with a disability can’t help but start to believe some things aren’t possible for them. But we reckon you can do much more than you think—push those boundaries and live life on your terms.
Passengers always say to us, ‘You reckon I can do it?’
Our answer is always the same, ‘Yeah, let’s give it a try, and I’ll be by your side to keep you safe, no matter what.’
Fancy meeting a snake at an Australian Music Festival?
Our director Peter Negri says:
‘Once at Tamworth Country Music Festival, we encountered a snake man, who called us over to have a close encounter with his scaly friends. A few of our passengers were afraid, and we get it — snake’s aren’t for everyone. One said to me, ‘I can’t do it,’ but I could see that she was really curious. So I told her to give it a go. I promised that I wouldn’t let anything harm her, and she soon was grinning ear to ear with a snake wrapped around her neck. The sense of pride she had for facing her fears was immense, and I was chuffed.’
Don’t worry, if you hate snakes (or anything else) we won’t force you to do anything — but we will encourage you to take risks because we see firsthand how great you will feel when you challenge your boundaries and enjoy yourself.
All the fun of a group of similar travellers.
Being in a group gets you all kinds of special attention — so why not take advantage? We’ll do our best to ensure you skip the queues, get the best visibility and transport yourself and your crew safely. Our passengers tell us that being part of a bigger crew makes them feel included and special in new ways. We’re always surprised to see some of our quieter gang members become quite rowdy and all kinds of people come right out of their shells with a bit of encouragement. Nothing beats that group connection and sense of being part of a social network. Our hosts work hard to ensure everyone is included and everyone contributes to decisions and the result is a rollicking good time had by all.
Says our founder Peter Negri:
‘One year at Tamworth, we joined in the busker and our guys were singing along and getting a great response from the gathered crowd. So we threw down a hat and started collecting too. The busker was a bit miffed, as we quickly topped his income! But he changed his mind when we handed him all our earnings and went on our way. It’s these little happenings that create unforgettable memories for our passengers, and that’s what travel is all about for everybody.’
Go beyond the festival
Our tours typically include additional attractions so you can truly explore the local area and make the most of your trip. This might include a cruise in Noosa after the Gympie Music Festival or a meetup in Brisbane before the Tamworth Music Festival. Why not check out a market in Byron at the Bluesfest or Ned Kelly’s last stand at Glenrowan after the Wangaratta Jazz Festival?
Australian Music Festivals: Disability Access Ratings & Reviews
As disability travel experts with decades of experience, we’ve been attending these events and hosting disability travel tours for years, and we know what to expect. The good news is that these event organisers do a great job and each year the events get better and better for disability travellers.
Byron Bluesfest
held annually, over the Easter weekend
in Byron Bay, New South Wales
• Blues • Roots •
Event website: https://www.bluesfest.com.au/
- Accessibility website page? Yes on services page
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes/No
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes/No
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
held annually, in late August,
in Gympie, Queensland’s Sunshine Coast
• Country • Blues • Bluegrass • Folk • Rock • Bush Ballad •
Event website: https://www.muster.com.au/
- Accessibility website page? No (included in FAQ section)
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
Gympie Music Muster Disability Access Overall Rating: 10/10
Want to go to Gympie? Check out our dedicated Gympie Music Festival Disability Tour.Â
held annually, in September/October,
in Mildura, Northern Victoria
and Wentworth South-West NSW
on the Murray River
• Country •
Event website: https://www.mildurawentworthmusicfestival.com/
- Accessibility website page? No
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes/No
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes/No
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
Mildura Wentworth Country Music Festival Disability Access Overall Rating: 10/10
Want to go to Mildura or Wentworth? Check out our dedicated Mildura Wentworth Music Festival Disability Tour.Â
Mitchell Creek Rock and Blues
held annually, in September,
in Mitchell Creek, Noosa Hinterland, Queensland
• Rock • Blues •
Event website: https://www.mitchellcreekrocknbluesfest.com.au/
- Accessibility website page? No, but brief mention in FAQ
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
held annually, in January (for the King’s birthday),
in Parkes, NSW
• Elvis • Rockabilly • R&B •
Event website: https://www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au/
- Accessibility website page? Yes, with multiple, detailed pages on several disability access topics
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes/No
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes/No
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
Parkes Elvis Festival Disability Access Overall Rating: 10/10
Want to go to the Elvis Festival? Check out our dedicated Parkes Elvis Festival Disability Tour.Â
held annually, in March,
in Port Fairy, Victorian Shipwreck Coast
• Folk • Blues • Roots •
Event website: https://portfairyfolkfestival.com/
- Accessibility website page? Yes
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes/No
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes/No
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
Port Fairy Folk Festival Disability Access Overall Rating: 10/10
Want to go to the Port Fairy Folk Festival? Check out our dedicated Port Fairy Folk Festival Disability Tour.Â
held annually, in January,
in Tamworth, Northern New South Wales
• Country • Bluegrass • Folk • Rock •
Event website: https://www.tcmf.com.au/
- Accessibility website page? Yes
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
Tamworth Country Music Festival Disability Access Overall Rating: 10/10
Want to go to the Tamworth Country Music Festival? Check out our dedicated Tamworth Country Music Festival Disability Tour.Â
Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues
held annually, over the Melbourne Cup long weekend in October/November,
in Wangaratta, Northern Victoria
• Jazz • Blues •
Event website: https://wangarattajazz.com/
- Accessibility website page? No
- Dedicated spaces on main stage/s? Yes/No
- Clear stage visibility for wheelchair users? Yes/No
- Disability toilets: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability transport options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- Disability accommodation options: (poor, average, good, excellent)
- General event accessibility (ramps, pathways, ticketed entrance areas, etc) (poor, average, good, excellent)
Want to go to a different festival, or not with a group?
We can help. We offer individual holidays with dedicated support staff to create a memorable adventure at your favourite event or destination. If you’d rather create your own itinerary and not join a group tour. we can make it happen. Just get in touch to discuss your idea (or get our suggestions) and we’ll prepare a free quote for your consideration.
