More Dark Mofo events sell out, organisers release ticket warning

As six more of its shows sold out this week, organisers of Hobart’s Dark Mofo – MONA’s winter solstice festival – warned punters of the dangers of buying tickets from scalpers.

Creative Director Leigh Carmichael said, “Mona’s ticket support team has received information regarding fraudulent Dark Mofo event tickets being sold on online sites and community noticeboards. Legitimate Dark Mofo tickets have a one-time entry barcode that will be scanned upon entry. Some fraudulent tickets have allegedly been posted online with prices up to $200 per ticket.

“Dark Mofo and Mona are the only place to purchase tickets to our events, and we can’t guarantee the validity of tickets purchased through any other channels. Due to capacity and safety concerns, we can’t let more people in to shows even if we want to. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable time at Dark Mofo events.”

Among the sell-outs were performances by ZHU, Chelsea Wolfe, Savages, Supercodex and Heart of Darkness. Pre-sales to the late-night event Blacklist also hit capacity although the Sunday June 12 tickets are still available, as well as door sales each night.

Dark Mofo is officially staged between Friday 10 and Tuesday 21 although some events have already begun. Full program details at www.darkmofo.net.au.

Last year, the festival doubled intestate and overseas visitors to almost 8,000, a definite tourism boost in what used to be a quiet winter period in Hobart. Each spent an extra $200 a day while on the island.

A new partnership with Hobart Airport see them exposed to the acclaimed festival as soon as they touch down. The “Welcome To Hobart” neon sign above the main arrivals terminal now reads “Welcome to Art” with the “Hob” darkened.

Dark Mofo’s Paint The Town Red” sees the entire airport bathed in red. There are also festival initiatives inside the arrivals lounges.

Hobart Airport is sponsoring the festival’s Black Box pop-up experimental performance space at MAC2, which hosts a live set from Japanese audiovisual artist Ryoji Ikeda’s Supercodex, Ephemera Live with Tim Hecker and Marcel Weber; Welsh dark industrial performer and composer Lustmord; The Bacchae by St Martins Youth Theatre and Fraught Outfit; and Australian-based UK genre-melting dance music producer Mark Pritchard.

Leigh Carmichael said, “We are very excited about this new partnership and the many possibilities it will provide to enhance the visitor experience. In order for us to continue to provide a world-class festival, we need support – and it’s reassuring to see the Hobart Airport is committed to the Tasmanian people, and our state’s cultural activity.

In just three years, Dark Mofo grew from a total attendance of 130,000 to 270,000 last year. The Winter Feast drew 20,000 diners a night, fed from 65 staff holders.

In January, the festival secured fresh funding from the State Government and Hobart City Council. The Government, which funded the first few festivals at $1 million a year, committed $2.1 million for 2016. “Dark Mofo is without doubt a vital part of our cultural landscape,” said Premier Will Hodgman, calling it “the state’s most popular annual event, even exceeding the Taste Festival.”

The City of Hobart announced a three-year sponsorship. It contributed $300,000 for this year. In 2017 and 2018, the figure is $200,000 for each year, made up of $150,000 in cash and $50,000 worth of in-kind support.