NORTHERN Mornington Peninsula Tourism, the organisers of the Main Street Mornington Festival, have announced the event will not be held in 2026.
The event was first held in 1998 and took a break during Covid. It came back for 2023 and 2024, but was also cancelled last year.
In a statement on social media, the organisers said: “Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to secure the level of funding needed to make the event financially viable”.
“We know our Festival is something many businesses, artists, performers, and people in our community look forward to each year, and we’re incredibly grateful for the ongoing support, enthusiasm, and encouragement we’ve received.
“We will continue to review opportunities for the future and will provide further updates as they become available.”
Some commentors were quick to point the finger at the shire, blaming a lack of council funding for the cancellation.
In response, the shire released a statement clarifying that since 2022, they had provided $80,000 in sponsorship to the festival committee.
“The Northern Mornington Peninsula Tourism chose not to proceed due to rising costs and a shortage of private sponsorship,” said the statement.
“We share the community’s disappointment and would welcome the festival’s return in the future.”
Speaking to The News, organiser Christina Nolan made it clear that shire sponsorship was just a small part of the financial support required to hold an event of this size.
“We are grateful for the shire’s support, but if we want events like these to continue, we need to ensure there is certainty and continuity of funding,” said Nolan.
“The cost of running this free event is high. For example, traffic management alone is $15,000.
“If the community and, for that matter the shire, see value in events like this, we need to ensure they are properly resourced.”
Nolan has sought an urgent meeting with the shire.
First published in the Mornington News – 11 August 2026
