Vanfest set for a promising debut in Bathurst after eight years in Forbes

Vanfest organiser Matt Clifton said he sees great potential for Vanfest's long term future in Bathurst, with the long-running event set to be held in the region for the first time later this year.

After eight years in Forbes, where Mr Clifton founded the event with his father, Grant Clifton, in the Vandenberg Hotel, Vanfest will be held at Wahluu-Mount Panorama on December 2 and 3.

The event will feature a stellar, youth-oriented line-up including Hilltop Hoods, Tash Sultana, Tones and I, Six60, The Presets and Illy.

Mr Clifton said there are a number of different reasons for bringing the event to Bathurst, with the obvious allures being expanded accommodation options, proximity to metropolitan areas and greater population.

"Coming out of COVID has brought a multitude of challenges to the festival circuit, especially financially, so we needed to think differently to maintain Vanfest's commercial viability," he said.

"Bathurst is a bigger town that's much closer to metropolitan areas, and there's much more accommodation on offer here, but in many ways, Vanfest is still sticking to its regional roots."

Mr Clifton said Bathurst's status as a university town was also a major factor in the move.

"Charles Sturt University [CSU] students are absolutely the target demographic for Vanfest, and Bathurst has one of the largest campuses, so it's a no-brainer," he said.

"But with that said, Vanfest has attracted anyone from 16 to 70+ over the years, and we've tried to reflect a number of age brackets in the line-up."

Mr Clifton said it was a difficult decision to leave Forbes, but it was necessary to maintain the viability of Vanfest.

"The decisions were hard, and if they were purely personal, we'd still be in Forbes," he said.

"We tried to negotiate with Forbes Showground for three months and were unable to find a mutual solution that worked for all parties.

"We enjoyed eight wonderful years there and the support from Forbes Shire Council was always fantastic, but we needed to spread our commercial wings."

Regardless of ticket sales, Mr Clifton is confident Vanfest will be a success in Bathurst.

"It's an event that has been stagnant for three years, so success will be measured on the delivery and experience of Vanfest rather than ticket sales," he said.

"We're open to continue hosting Vanfest in Bathurst in future years should Bathurst Regional Council deem it a success."

Vanfest is supported by Destination NSW and triple j.

For more information, visit www.vanfest.com.au