The Festival of King Island has posted its biggest numbers yet, but organisers say limited air access is strangling growth potential.
The two-day event on February 13 and 14 saw a 15% jump in entries, 22% more attendees and revenue climbing 17%.
Festival president Kim George said feedback from the 19 bands and performers was overwhelmingly positive.
“Feedback from the community and from the bands has been that they just had a fantastic time,” George said.
“All the musicians want to come back and play again.”
George said 68% of ticket-holders travelled to the island, with strong numbers from Queensland and New South Wales.
However, Victorian and Tasmanian sales lagged significantly due to flight capacity constraints.
He said limited flights had created a cap on festival attendance.
“Flights to and from the island from both Victoria and Tasmania in the days immediately before and after the festival were sold out months in advance,” he said.
The travel shortage forced organisers to charter two flights for performers, the first time since 2013.
“We face this problem once a year – island residents and businesses face it every day,” George said.
“Federal and state governments, the King Island Council, and airlines need to sit down and urgently work out a way to improve air access to King Island.”
Planning for next year’s festival is already underway, with George confident better flight options could unlock the event’s full potential.
“If we can get improved air access to the island, then we really will be able to take the Festival of King Island 2027 edition to the next level,” he said.
