The final main day of this year’s Dark Mofo festival has wrapped up with nearly 20,000 people gathering at Hobart’s Macquarie Point to witness the ceremonial burning of their fears.
Festival-goers watched as a giant model of a maugean skate, created by Balinese artists, was set ablaze during the Ogoh Ogoh Procession and Burning.
People had spent previous days writing down their fears, which were placed inside the model ahead of the burning.
The procession began at Parliament Lawns at 5pm, with thousands walking along Davey Street to Macquarie Point, the site of Hobart’s proposed new multipurpose stadium, before returning to Salamanca to enjoy the Winter Feast.
This year’s Dark Mofo has seen more than 210,000 entries to various events over two weeks.
“It has been amazing to see so many festival-goers out and about, feasting by the fires, engaging with music and art, and even braving the wet weather,” Festival Executive Director Melissa Edwards said.
She said Dark Mofo has had something for everyone, with visitors travelling from interstate and overseas to witness the festivities.
“Whether it’s screaming until you can’t breathe at Dark Park, navigating your way past a black-clad figure in an old bank vault, taking in the spoken-word of a saxophonist, or paying a visit to the Chocolate Goblin.”
The festival will officially come to a close with the Nude Solstice Swim will on Saturday 21 June, with organisers describing it as “a cleansing renewal ritual on the shortest day of the year.”
