Tasmania’s eclectic music and arts event MONA FOMA (that’s the Museum Of Old & New Art’s Festival of Music & Art, also known as MOFO — confusing, right?) has teased a number of acts on its upcoming 2018 lineup by trolling controversial Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson with a giant billboard.
MONA FOMA announced its official dates for 2018 today — including a new ‘Mini MOFO’ that’s set to hit Launceston next year — after personally inviting Ms Hanson to attend the festival.
“We parked a billboard out the front of her headquarters this morning and suggested she buy a ticket,” says MONA curator Brian Ritchie.
“We hinted there could be a burqa wearing heavy metal band on the bill. So we’re pretty sure she’ll come.”
Along with the hint that MONA FOMA 2018 will feature “some burqa-wearing heavy metal guitarists”, the billboard also spruiked “a transgender rhapsodist” and “the Muslim Janis Joplin” for the festival’s upcoming lineup.
“This could be our last festival at MONA for a while, so we really want to go out with a bang,” Ritchie says, and he’s certainly off to a good start.
While Ms Hanson is yet to respond to MONA FOMA’s invitation, organisers have announced that the new ‘Mini MOFO’ event will run between 12th and 14th January, and will include a free street party. MOFO will then take place in Hobart between 15th and 22nd January, with “an even more radical cross section of artists, genres and agendas” than the festival is currently known for.
Discussions to relocate MOFO to Launceston from 2019 are also “well advanced”, so stay tuned for more news on that front.
This year’s MONA FOMA lineup featured the likes of Puscifer, tētēma, Peaches and Moses Sumney.
The full MONA FOMA 2018 lineup will be announced on Friday, 13th October, and the festival will take place in Hobart and Launceston between 12th and 22nd January.
Details below.
MONA FOMA 2018
Tickets on sale Monday, 16th October
Friday, 12th — Monday, 22nd January
Various Venues, Hobart & Launceston
Tickets: MOFO
