Tatura Lions Club secretary Malcolm Campbell said the difficult decision to cancel TatFest 2026 was made after the club was unable to secure enough sponsorship.
Three well-known community events in Tatura will not go ahead this year, with organisers pointing to financial pressures and low ticket sales as the key reasons.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Among them is TatFest, a free, family-friendly event run by the Lions Club of Tatura, which has been part of the town’s calendar since 2017, excluding two COVID-affected years.
Lions Club of Tatura secretary Malcolm Campbell said the decision to cancel TatFest 2026 was made in late October last year after the club was unable to secure sufficient sponsorship.
“TatFest costs between $17,000 and $18,000 each year to run, and we rely on sponsorship of at least $13,000 to meet those costs,” Mr Campbell said.
“At the time we cancelled, we had secured just $4800, and many local businesses indicated they were unable to provide sponsorship this year.”
In addition, two other popular events — Tat Tunes Fest and Silo Sesh— run independently by Jody Vincitorio and Janine McNiece, have also been cancelled for 2026 due to low ticket sales.
In a statement, the organisers said the decision was extremely difficult but necessary.
“It’s not the news we wanted to share, but it’s the right call this time,” they said.
“A lot of time and effort goes into bringing these nights to life, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supported us, bought tickets and helped make these events so special.”
Despite the cancellations, organisers remain hopeful the events will return in the future.
Planning for TatFest 2027 will begin on July 1, 2026, with the event set to return on the first Sunday in March 2027.
The Lions Club of Tatura is welcoming sponsorship inquiries and suggestions via tatura@lions201V5.org.au
Much-loved local events Tat Tunes Fest and Silo Sesh will not go ahead in 2026, with organisers announcing the difficult decision to cancel due to low ticket sales.
14°C