Groovin’ The Moo Canberra future uncertain after losing home

Groovin’ The Moo has lost its Canberra home of the last eight years, the University of Canberra.

Vice-chancellor Deep Saini told an ACT assembly hearing that the university and festival promoter Cattleyard Promotions had come to a “mutual decision” to end their contract, according to The Canberra Times.

The April 2018 show would be their last together.

“The university felt with the growth in the campus … the place was no longer fit for purpose so we approached the organisers,” Professor Saini said.

“This year was the last year … It may happen elsewhere but it will not be on [our] campus.”

The university is officially maintaining that building works on site would affect the staging of the event.

However, the university has been under pressure from some political sectors for allowing pill testing on its grounds during Groovin The Moo 2018.

Immediately after the decision to hold Australia’s first pill testing at a music festival was agreed upon, ACT shadow attorney-general Jeremy Hanson claimed the decision would encourage drug use.

“This is sending a very bad message about drug use in the ACT,” he said.

More recently Canberra Liberal Andrew Wall questioned how the university could reconcile its zero drug policy with the tests.

Professor Saini responded it had been a public health issue, which had been backed by the ACT government and police.

“Opinions were split and I fully expected there would be always people thinking that way but at the end of the day … we thought it was appropriate,” the Canberra Times quoted him.

Cattleyard has not made a comment.