MULLETFEST | The Party in the Back is Back in Kurri this Weekend!

Mulletfest is back where it all began this weekend with entrants going head to head to find the best Mullet this Saturday and Sunday at The Chelmsford Hotel in Kurri Kurri.

What began as a kooky idea has become an annual pilgrimage for those who consider it a lifestyle rather than a hairstyle. The festival's creator, Laura Johnson has become the go expert on all things Mullet-related with calls coming in year-round from media worldwide. The spark that kicked off Mulletfest in its inaugural year, happened over a beer at the Chelmsford Hotel at Kurri Kurri. in personLooking for a way to create some clean family fun and a tourism injection to a town that was struggling after losing a large generational employer.

The event was planned as some fun for the locals and hoping to attract some people from surrounding areas turned into an international sensation. Attracting entrants from all over the country and stories running in media as far afield as Russia, The UK, North America, and Ireland. The event continued to grow and the 2020 event had 247 entrants from all over Australia and 7 guys from the international category arrive in-person to compete from Canada, the US, and Norway.

Thankfully we had our 2020 event before the Covid crisis hit. Sadly, only weeks after announcing our 3rd Grand Mullet winner, the world turned upside down. Not only did Covid put a stop to the idea of friends and family being able to get together but decimated the industry we love and that Mulletfest was designed to help bolster.

There seemed to be a feeling online that New Year's Eve was going to be some magical wiping of the slate from the nightmare year that was 2020 but the turning of the page on the calendar didn't change the reality of the situation. The industry is still hurting and there are still restrictions on festival organizers for the sake of everyone's health and safety. Mulletfest, like the little haircut that could, still managed to hold a Covid safe version of the iconic festival in February 2021.

It's been a learning curve, figuring out how to do things online and we have been thrilled to see how many people have learned to embrace the mullet ethos while using zoom: collared shirt on top, pyjama pants and Ugg boots on the bottom. That said, we still want people to get together, celebrate and share the love of this iconic hairstyle without sharing the virus. After much discussion at Mulletfest HQ, we have made a decision. This year for your safety and our desperate need to see your smiling faces and your luscious locks the world-famous festival has decided to come to you. Mulletfest 2022 will go on tour around Australia. This format will allow us to keep the crowds smaller and more localised while still fostering the sense of community we hold so dear. Venue applications for 2023 are now open.

The 2022 tour began on stage at Summernats in Canberra followed by Kurri Kurri event at the Chelmsford Hotel on its traditional last weekend in February. The team will then head off to Albury, Rockhampton, Glenreagh, Logan Village, Alice Springs, Murrurundi and Dookie.

2022 will see the Mulletfest Crew touring Australia. Hosting heats all over the country and hoping to give a boost to pubs just like ours who have been hit so hard in the last 2 years. This year we also have our very first Mulletfest Calendar thanks to Calendar Club. It is currently on sale at all their pop-up outlets across Australia or can be purchased at Mulletfest events from the Merch stand or online at mulletfest.com.au. We will once again be donating to The Mark Hughes Foundation as part of the event to help them continue their amazing work in brain cancer research, treatment & care.

The event which kicks off the festivities in Kurri Kurri on Friday the 26th of February will include the Matt Forster Memorial Rookie Award, dedicated to our dear friend Matt who sadly passed away in 2019. Leaving behind his beautiful young family. His strong and resilient wife Carly has remained involved in the event. It was the association with brain cancer research that put us in contact with gregarious MC Prousty (Dave Proust). He always took to the stage with gusto, along with his gorgeous wife, Therese, who helped judge our 2021 event. Dave lost his brave battle with brain cancer in late 2021. There are some very big Mulletfest MC shoes to fill after having his comedic geniuses with us for three years. The hope is that the work of the foundation could make another families journey slightly more bearable and find light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

MULLETFEST ON TOUR 2022

The Chelmsford Hotel, Kurri Kurri, NSW February 25,26 & 27 Soden's Hotel, Albury, NSW March 18 & 19 Rockynats, Rockhampton, QLD April 16 Golden Dog Hotel, Glenreagh, NSW May 20, 21 & 22 Logan Village Hotel, Logan Village, QLD June 17, 18 & 19 Red Centre Nats & Monte's Lounge, Alice Springs, NT September 2, 3 & 4 White Hart Hotel, Murrurundi, NSW October 14, 15 & 16 Gladstone Dookie Hotel, Dookie, VIC October 21, 22 & 23