More sell-outs as Dark Mofo faces “unprecedented demand”

Tasmania’s mid-winter Dark Mofo festival continues to cater for what organisers are describing as “unprecedented demand”.

The latest sell-out, announced yesterday, was a show by Canadian singer-songwriter Alice Glass and US troubadour and producer Zola Jesus.

More than 25,000 tickets equating to $1.5 million were recorded at the Dark Mofo box office within the first 24 hours of ticket sales going on the market last Tuesday – 65% of these came from outside Tasmania.

With hundreds left on waiting lists, organisers scrambled to increase capacity for shows by Marlon Williams, Blixa Bargeld and Jarboe and Father Murphy, which moved from clubs to theatres.

New shows were added for Australian exclusive draw cards as British doom metal band Electric Wizard and US performance artist and minimalist organist Charlemagne Palestine.

Certain for a sell-out is St Vincent who triumphantly premiered her blistering, disturbing rock show at Coachella on the weekend.

After a solo MASSEDUCTION tour which divided fans, she has returned with a full band and a theatrical show which built up slowly through the set.

Dark Mofo is held June 13 to 14 in Hobart featuring 750 artists.

Dark Mofo single-handedly turned perceptions of business and tourism spend in terms of Tasmanian winter events, for a long “dead” period. Visitors doubled from 128,000 in 2013 to 280,000 in 2015.

In January 2016, Dark Mofo received a one-off funding contribution of $2.1 million from the state government, and Hobart City Council committed to $700,000 over the next three years.

The state government estimates the average interstate visitor stays seven nights over the festival period and spends $200 a night on restaurants, shops and other attractions.