Beyond The Valley, Lost Paradise Festivals Announce Restrictions On Doof Sticks
“We kindly ask for a little bit of doof stick etiquette this year,” said Lost Paradise.
Dom Dolla @ Lost Paradise (Credit: Jess Bowen)
If you’re heading to a music festival this summer, it might be best to check if your doof stick needs to be reeled in.
For anyone who might view that opening sentence as complete gibberish, it’s time for a quick definition of terms. A ‘doof stick’, as it is has been dubbed, is a large, decorated sign usually located atop a long handle, and is typically used to add to the general vibe of a festival, and as a locator for punters and their friends within a crowd.
The concept isn’t new. After all, head along to a festival like Glastonbury and you would be used to large flags throughout the audience. In fact, a whole Wikipedia article exists on the topic, where you can discover they’re equally called festival totems, rave totems, and rage sticks. That same article traces their history as far back as Woodstock in 1969.
However, the general reaction to doof sticks has been rather mixed over the years. While the intentions of a doof stick are likely good, less enthusiastic punters have criticised doof sticks for blocking the vision of other audience members, or for generally being an obnoxious addition to the festival experience.
As the years have gone on and doof sticks have become a cultural staple of a festival, so too have they evolved, becoming larger, flashier, and generally more esoteric. Now, festivals are stepping in to ensure it doesn’t get out of hand.
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Both the Central Coast’s Lost Paradise and Victoria’s Beyond The Valley festivals have stepped into the conversation, announcing size restrictions on doof sticks at their upcoming festivals.
“We need to talk about doof sticks,” wrote Lost Paradise on social media.
“Don’t get us wrong; we here at LP HQ are all for a clever stick. But bigger does not necessarily mean better, and last year’s cacophony of oversized totems blocking the view soured the Lost Paradise experience for a number of fellow Paradisians (it was one of the biggest pieces of feedback we received in our post-festival survey).
“Both the LP team and our artists work hard all year to build a remarkable show for you to enjoy,” they added. “And put simply, no one will be able to see it if we don’t put a few guidelines in place for 2024.”
Lost Paradise and Beyond The Valley both detailed their restrictions, announcing that doof sticks are required to be limited to A3 size so as to not hamper the festival experiences for other punters.
Beyond The Valley also added another couple of things to remember, urging doof stick creators to keep their content “witty, smart, and hilarious”, to think if “references to illicit substances” are “really that clever”, and to ensure that they’re taken home and not simply discarded on the festival grounds after the event.
“We’re obsessed with all the creative Doof Sticks you bring each year, but we just ask you to keep them small, slim, and respectful,” concluded Beyond The Valley’s post.
“We kindly ask for a little bit of doof stick etiquette this year,” echoed Lost Paradise. “Please don’t be that person who blocks everyone’s view, and please don’t make us take it off you.”
However, reaction to the news has been as divisive as the doof sticks themselves. “Sizing down is good. So unnecessary to have a huge oversized doof stick,” one response to the news claimed. “I’m pretty over lame signs taking up massive views of the stage. Paid for the artist not your ketamine pun doll!!!”
“Mine is going to be as large and offensive as possible,” wrote one, while another added, “No can do, making the world’s largest Doof stick this year.”
“A3 seems a bit small, people will still make bigger ones despite the rules,” another level-headed response added. “50x50cm max would be nice. The sticks are funny and entertaining but yeah it does suck when someone has something the size of a car door at the front and centre of the dancefloor.”
However, while doof sticks likely won’t be going anywhere any time soon, it remains to be seen how these restrictions will be policed, and whether festivalgoers will be adhering to the regulations or simply defying the rules with bigger, and more obnoxious doof sticks.
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
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