Meredith Music Festival Bans Native American Headdresses

The official lineup of this year’s Meredith Music Festival is not the only thing organisers have announced today. They’ve also updated the 2014 banned items list, documenting all the items you cannot carry or wear while at the festival.

Like every year, you won’t be able to bring glass bottles, BBQs, generators or fireworks into the festival, but this year will be the first where punters heading to Meredith will be banned from carrying “offensive signage, slogans, clothing and costumes”, including the once ubiquitous but now uber passé feathered “Native American” headdress.

As an explanation for the update to its list, the Meredith site links to an article by Native Appropriations which explains the many reasons why festival-goers shouldn’t wear “a hipster Headdress.”

Such reasons include promotion of the stereotyping of Native cultures, cultural appropriation and disregarding the continuing history of genocide and colonialism of Native communities and cultures.

Meredith — also famous for its “no dickhead” policy — now joins Canadian festival Bass Coast, who earlier this year banned attendees from wearing Native American feather headdresses out of respect for “the dignity of aboriginal people.”

The Meredith Music Festival lineup was unveiled this morning and features the likes of The War On Drugs, Augie March, Ty Segall, and De La Soul.

As per usual, the annual ballot ensures most tickets go to subscribers. The next round of ballot results will be issued Thursday, 21st August. There’s only one type of ticket and that’s the Full Meredith Experience, priced at $318.80 + $10 booking. Check below for all the details.

Stay tuned to our Meredith 2014 Feed for all the latest news and updates!

Photos: Meredith Music Festival 2013

Photos by Nikki Williams

Friday, 12th – Sunday, 14th December 2014

Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, Meredith VIC

Tickets: Meredith Music Festival