Meatstock Toowoomba Cancelled: 'We’re Absolutely Gutted'

The Toowoomba edition of Australia’s favourite country music meets smoked meats festival, Meatstock, has been cancelled.

A situation outside of festival organisers’ control, the event will no longer go ahead as a Category 2 cyclone heads towards the state of Queensland, putting the artists, fans, production, and workers at the festival at risk.

The event was scheduled for Friday, 7 March, to Saturday, 8 March. Cyclone Alfred, a Category 2 natural disaster, will impact Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast on Thursday evening, bringing an estimated deluge of 9-metre waves and 700 millimetres of rain.

The festival had booked an incredible slate of international and local talent, including Chase Rice, Oliver Anthony, Redferrin, Brad Cox, Melanie Dyer, Taylor Moss, and more.

“We’re absolutely gutted to announce that Meatstock Toowoomba 2025 has been cancelled,” festival organisers wrote on Facebook today (4 March).

After explaining that this year’s event was set to be the largest Meatstock event yet, organisers wrote that they’d been placed in a “damned if we do, damned if we don’t situation.”

The statement continued, “For some, the severe weather predictions at their homes and concerns about traveling to the venue were a major worry. For others, plans were already set—accommodation booked, travel underway, and rain wasn’t a big deal. Some will be deeply disappointed by this decision, while others will be relieved. We hope you understand this was not in our control.

“At the end of the day, Mother Nature has the final say. The serious weather concerns surrounding Cyclone Alfred (currently a Category 2) forced us to make this difficult call in the best interest of safety.

“We also wanted to make this decision as early as possible to give everyone time to make alternative arrangements. As much as we’d love to postpone, it brings a whole new set of complications that would take time to navigate and delay clarity for everyone.”

Ticketing provider Moshtix will provide refunds to punters—tickets will be refunded using the ticket buyers’ original payment method, and fans will be notified once the process is complete.

Moshtix will directly contact fans whose credit card details have changed since they purchased tickets for the event.  

Meatstock organisers wrote, “So much effort has gone into this event—from pitmasters and BBQ teams to artists, crew, sponsors, and volunteers. So many people have spent weeks, if not months, preparing to feed and entertain everyone. Meatstock is one of the biggest barbecue festivals in the world, and together, we’ve built something truly special.

“We hope you will continue to support us into the future.

“A huge thank you to Toowoomba Showgrounds, Toowoomba Region, Jack Daniel’s, Better Beer, Traeger, Heat Beads, Sunpork, and all our sponsors, exhibitors, and partners. We appreciate your ongoing support.”

Meatstock will continue in Sydney, Bendigo, and Hamilton. You can purchase tickets to those events here.