A man has died after he suffered a suspected drug overdose at the Pitch festival which was being held near Ararat in south-western Victoria.
The man in his 20s was airlifted to Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital at around 4am on Sunday morning and later died in The Alfred.
The controversial festival was cancelled on Sunday due to a dangerous heatwave and extreme fire danger, the organisers said in a statement.
‘Nobody is in immediate danger. We encourage everyone on site not to rush, calmly pack-up and depart either this evening or early tomorrow,’ they said.
‘Please remember to stay hydrated, and be patient and calm with staff and each other.’
Pitch Music & Arts 2024 (pictured) has been cancelled following the upgrade of a heatwave over Victoria from severe to extreme
The festival, which started on Friday and was set to run through to Tuesday.
Two other festival goers – men aged in their 30s and 40s – were also taken to hospital suffering from suspected overdoses and are in a stable condition.
They were taken to the East Grampians Health Service in a stable condition after suspected substance use at the festival on Saturday.
Very high temperatures have also hit Melbourne, with Monday’s Moomba Parade being cancelled.
‘Safety, health and wellbeing has to be the top priority,’ Melbourne mayor Sally Capp said on Sunday.
More to come…