In defence of the Rainbow Serpent festival

A young festival-goer has gone head-to-head with Neil Mitchell over the controversial Rainbow Serpent festival.

Victoria Police wants the event shut down due to persistent problems.

This year’s event, held at Lexton over the Australia Day long weekend, was plagued by violence, sexual assaults and multiple drug and alcohol offences.

Nearly 1000 people needed medical assistance over the duration of the festival.

But Ariane, 22, rang 3AW Mornings on Wednesday to defend the embattled event.

She agreed the violence and sexual assaults were unacceptable, but said they were problems that reflected society – not the event itself.

She said criminal offences took place at nearly every large event, such as sport, but festivals were unfairly targeted.

‘But then again, we like football more than we like these festivals because they seem to be a bit more off-centre and a little bit more mysterious to people who don’t really understand,’ she said.

It led Neil Mitchell to recall his days a music reviewer in the 1960s.

‘You would have four-day festivals where people would do all sorts of outrageous things,’ the 3AW Mornings host said.

‘But I don’t remember any of this violence.’

Click PLAY below to hear Ariane’s defence on 3AW Mornings.