Festival guidelines

Please read these guidelines before heading out to the festival!

These festival guidelines are important, and they are put in place to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable weekend.

In short ..

No Dogs, No Glass, No illegal substances, No Drones. No Exceptions! 

Please care for and respect the beautiful environment we are able to hold this event in.

We are all gathering to share a beautiful creative community space and following these simple guidelines will help make this possible.

 

Festival Rules

  • No pets – this includes dogs, cats, other furry animals, as well as birds, lizards, and anything else.

  • Registered Service animals are acceptable as long as the owner produces the correct documentation on arrival and upon request.

  • No glass or excessive amounts of alcohol.

  • No illegal substances.

  • No anti-social behaviour.

  • No drones. Drone use is not permitted by patrons at the festival regardless of CASA certification/licensing.

  • No loud or offensive music at any time in campgrounds.

  • Generators and sound systems are not allowed in the festival campgrounds.

  • Small iPod docks in campsites are permitted, provided that you are considerate of your neighbours.

  • If you have a small iPod dock and you receive a request from the EFF team to turn it down or off, you must comply.

  • No fires, fireworks, candles or other open flames. Gas cookers are permitted at your campsite, and compliant gas cookers are allowed in caravans and RVs.

  • No quad bikes or mini bikes.

  • No camping under the trees.

  • You must wear your wristband at all times. Do not tamper with it. If it is damaged, head to the info tent for a replacement.

  • No overtly political symbols and protest materials, such as national flags and banners.

 

What To Bring

  • Drinking water & refill container

  • Hat, sunscreen & sunglasses

  • Warm & spare clothes - it can get cold at night!

  • Shoes

  • Gumboots if it looks like it is going to be wet

  • Camping equipment, tent & sleeping bag, plus tarps and poles for shade

  • Esky

  • Portable ashtray & bags for rubbish

  • Torch

  • Earplugs

  • For some extra tips on an enjoyable weekend, check out our camping page.

 

SAFETY AND UNITY

Earth Frequency Festival stands for unity and celebrates the full diversity of our beautiful festival community. Truly embodying and honouring this diversity is at times a complex balance to achieve, and we celebrate freedom of expression as much as we advocate for safety and standards.

To help ensure a safe, welcoming and unified experience for all our community, this year we have implemented a policy that overtly political symbols and protest materials, such as national flags and banners, are not brought into the festival space. We have witnessed the division and harm that this can create, whether online or at events, and this year we want nothing more than for everyone to feel safe and united as we celebrate two decades of Earth Frequency.

This will help us truly embody this year’s theme of unity and create an atmosphere focused on music, art, connection, creativity and celebration of our big milestone.

There is always nuance and sensitivities to how policies like this are applied and interpreted, and to be clear – if an individual chooses to dress in traditional cultural attire or has a small artifact such as a pin or patch, and is engaging the festival experience peacefully, this will not present an issue. Overt and disruptive actions such as crowd agitation, flag-wearing and delivering political speeches, as well as anything that could be considered as intentionally divisive, discriminatory or supportive of violence, compromise our highest goal of a safe and welcoming festival and will be responded to as appropriate to the situation.

If you do not feel safe or see an activity that you feel goes against our unity theme, please let our friendly Earth Frequency crew or security team know.

Conditions Of Entry

This is an outdoor festival in a natural environment. There are certain risks associated with these activities, and by attending you agree to accept full responsibility for yourself and your actions. Management reserve the right to refuse entry & unsociable behaviour will not be tolerated. The Festival rules listed above are conditions of entry and failure to observe these rules may result in eviction from the festival.

Alcohol Policy

  • Car Searches - All cars entering the property will be inspected for compliance with our alcohol policy. This is a condition of entry to the event.

  • No glass – this will be strictly enforced this year, so cartons of beer in glass, bottes of spirits etc. will be confiscated by security at the Front Gate and on the event site. If you bring beer, buy it in cans! Decant your bottles of spirits! Do not bring any food items in glass containers. This is for all of our safety, there are families, young people about and barefoot people on the dance floor.

  • No excessive amounts of alcohol - We consider a reasonable amount of alcohol for one person over a 4-day period to be up to one carton of cans or one bottle of spirits. Binge Drinking is anti-social and not accepted at Earth Frequency. If any person brings excessive amounts of alcohol significantly above the stated reasonable amounts, they may be confiscated by our security.

  • No anti-social behaviour - Earth Frequency Festival is a family and community-oriented event. Please drink responsibly and conduct yourself socially. Any anti-social behaviour will be dealt with by our security staff and may lead to eviction from the festival.

Gas Cooker Policy

Gas cookers are allowed at your campsite as long as they are supervised at all times. Correctly installed and compliant gas cookers in Caravans and RVs are also allowed.

Road Safety

Please drive safely and responsibly to the festival. Road safety is a big priority so make sure you are well rested and drive safely. Please pay attention to the following guidelines

  • Make sure you have slept enough before doing the drive.

  • Do not drive under the influence of alcohol or any other substances

  • Expect RBT's and/or Drug Swab Testing going into and out of the festival. The local police have staged these in previous years and we expect this to happen again. This is in the interest of public road safety for both the event and the local community , and we can't stress enough how important it is to make sure you are well rested and sober before driving to/from the festival.

  • A drink and drug testing service will be available from BMFHQ at all times near the main First Aid tent, and at the festival exit on Monday and Tuesday.  If you are in doubt, please utilise this service and save yourself the risk.

 

Sneak-ins policy

Unfortunately there are some people who choose to sneak in to the festival to avoid paying or contributing. This is unfair to everyone and damages the festival. For those who have a genuine problem with affording an entry ticket we encourage you to pursue volunteer work opportunities, or consider our cheaper tickets early in the year. To discourage this behaviour further, not only will the person found be refused entry – but all the passengers in the car will be banned as well for being accessories and no ticket refunds will be issued. Don't do it!

 

Festival Times

The festival runs from midday Friday, October 24 to 6pm Monday, October 27.  Public arrival time is Friday, October 24 from 9am onwards.  If you would like to arrive earlier, look out for our camping upgrade options which provide early entry.  The site clear-out deadline is midday Tuesday, October 27. Please ensure you are well rested, sober and able to leave the venue safely by this time.

SWIMMING IN LAKE GKULA

We are incredibly excited to offer swimming in Woodfordia’s beautiful Lake Gkula for our 20th Anniversary Edition. It’s the perfect place to cool off, reset, and soak in the lush surroundings between dancefloor sessions.

Lake Gkula is a sensitive ecosystem, and we ask everyone to respect it and its thriving life. To ensure a safe and respectful experience, swimming will follow the same system used at other major Woodfordia events, with entry to the water requiring a separate ticket and wristband. We will have qualified Lifeguards and Lake Observers on duty at all times to ensure everyone is safe and follows the rules. 

SWIMMING GUIDELINES

  • There are six 50-minute sessions of swimming per day from 10am-4pm, with a maximum of 300 swimmers per session.

  • Tickets are $6 per person and must be booked in advance via Humantix from midnight the night before each day’s sessions. 

  • All swimmers need to book during the festival via Humantix and then collect their wristband from the Lake Gkula Tent (located on the East Side of the Lake in General Camping). Wristbands will be valid for the booked 50-minute swimming period only. 

  • An adult can enter (and must remain within) the lake precinct with a maximum of 2 children aged under 15.  

  • No alcohol allowed into Lake Precinct and no entry for anyone intoxicated.  

  • Swimwear is required – no topless or bottomless, thanks.  

  • Little people must be wearing aquatic nappies or swimwear.  

  • Please follow all directions given by our Lifesavers and Lake Observers.  

  • Only swim during open hours from 10am-4pm with a ticket and wristband. Anyone who swims outside of these times will be asked to leave the site.

PROTECT LAKE GKULA

  • Enter and exit water from the beaches only, never the rocks.

  • Only use approved sunscreen (free of oils and chemicals) to keep the lake and its inhabitants healthy. We will have this sunscreen available when you collect your wristband.

  • Keep Lake Gkula free of floatation devices, water inflatables, toys and all other plastics.

  • Please do not take a leak in Lake Gkula – it’s naturally filtered.

  • Please do not swim if you have a communicable disease or gastro-like symptoms.

  • No throwing, moving, stacking or climbing rocks.

  • Food and non-alcoholic drinks may be consumed on the grassy areas.

General Advice

  • Check the website and our social media channels before leaving for the event for any final updates and information.

  • Make use of local businesses and facilities - this helps create positive flow on from the festival to the local community.

  • Introduce yourself to your neighbours camped next to you and look out for each other.

  • Don't bring unnecessary valuables. Bring only what you really need for the festival, and valuables should be items you can keep on your person at all times and not leave in your campsite. The festival can not take responsibility for your personal belongings.

  • If you see a theft-taking place, please alert a member of the security staff or report it to the information tent.

  • Look after your friends and others. If someone looks to be in distress, don’t just walk by. Offer them some assistance.

  • Remember to drink enough water - dehydration can occur even on overcast days.

  • Drive safely at all times, a 10km/h speed limit applies to the entire festival area.

  • Do not drive around the festival venue during the festival. You are only permitted to drive into your campsite upon entry and when exiting the festival.

  • Familiarise yourself with the festival area when you arrive, take note of the location of First Aid, water, toilets and the info tent.

  • Be considerate of people's privacy when using camera equipment.