Summernats revs up security to ensure safe event as festival cruises to a 2025 sell-out

Summernats will rev up security, including hiring a new provider, at next month’s event at Exhibition Park after the ugly brawl that marred the 2024 festival.

The changes come after an internal review of the incident, which police described as disturbing and resulted in two crowd safety staff being charged.

Summernats Head of Marketing and Communications Adrian Hodgeson reassured patrons at the expected sell-out event of their safety, saying the main change is a switch to a new security provider with the capacity and experience to meet the annual car festival’s needs.

“The advice was that we needed significantly more security, and the company that we’ve engaged has that capacity,” Mr Hodgeson said at the event launch in Braddon on Monday (2 December).

“They also have the experience in delivering not just large-scale events but events and venues that are spread out over a big footprint, and Exhibition Park certainly presents that challenge.

“So we’re really confident that they can do the job.”

Mr Hodgeson could not say if there would be more police on the site, but the security plan that came out of the review had to be signed off by ACT Policing.

“It’s important to say that police are represented in our event control room permanently during the event, so it’s not just an event organiser and a security contractor delivering the safety for the event; it is actually ACT Policing and indeed representation from a whole bunch of other bodies in the room.”

Alcohol will also be closely managed, with only mid-strength beverages served until 1 pm, slushies mid-strength only, low-alcohol options available, and drink limits in place – a maximum of two per person with a reduction to one per person at 7 pm.

January’s event will be the 37th in Canberra, and about 130,000 to 140,000 people are expected to go through the gates over the three days.

Business, Arts and Creative Industries Minister Michael Pettersson said Summernats was a key part of the ACT’s festival calendar and generated about $43 million in economic benefit for the Territory.

“That’s a really big deal,” he said.

“And in the context of the timing, that being the start of the year and the quiet month of January, Summernats is really important to local businesses, particularly hospitality businesses that are doing it quite tough at the moment.”

A big part of that economic boost will be felt at the Fringe Festival in Braddon, where last January, over a million dollars was spent over the three nights.

Mr Hodgeson said the addition of the free Fringe had been a big success, injecting the vibe, colour and sound of Summernats into the city.

“We curate 120 cars on each of the three nights to share the love amongst the entrants, so a lot of them get a chance to be part of it.

“We’ve got people who have been coming to Summernats for more than 30 years who say that Braddon is the most exciting new addition we’ve made in a long time.”

The Fringe, sponsored by the City Renewal Authority, will run from 2 to 4 January from 5 pm to 11 pm on Lonsdale Street and parts of Mort Street.

Mr Hodgeson said ticket sales were outselling Summernats 36, which attracted 130,000 patrons. There were still a few left but they were not expected to last long.

He said this year’s event would include the biggest burnout competition ever, with $70,000 in prizemoney, including $50,000 to the winner, and contestants from as far away as New Zealand.

Other highlights included the the City Cruise with 400 handpicked street machines, the unveiling of 30 never-before-seen custom cars, the trade show, the celebration of retro hair with the Mulletfest and a live-music lineup on the Friday night headlined by Jet and supported by Eskimo Joe and Thirsty Merc.

Mr Hodgeson said Summernats wasn’t just about the cars.

“There are all sorts of tribes that make up Summernats,” he said.

“There are people that will spend four days at the burnout pad, getting covered in rubber and living the noise and the excitement.

“There are people who just come for the cruise route or the show cars, but then there are people who come for the music as well.”

The event continues to diversify and broaden its scope.

This year, the Summmernats juggernaut delivered its 10th Red Centre Nats Festival in Alice Springs, added Street Machine Magazine to the business and took in a new partner, Adrian Portelli of The Block fame, who wants to take the event to the US, where owner Andy Lopez has been scoping venues.

Summernats 37 runs from Thursday, 2 January, to Sunday, 5 January 2025. To learn more, visit the Summernats website.