Psyfari as a Case Study for Failed Regulation
I'm writing a paper on the 2019 NSW 'War on Festivals.' Psyfari is such a tragic case study. They had a near-spotless record for years, but the government essentially priced them out of existence with mandatory 'High Risk' police presence fees. Is it fair to hold a 10-year-old community event responsible for the actions of individuals after they've left the gates?
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It does feel unfair to hold a decade-old community event like Psyfari responsible for what a tiny minority do after they leave the gates. Psyfari had years of safe, creative gatherings and strong self-policing by attendees, yet the NSW government labelled it “High Risk” and imposed mandatory police fees that effectively priced it out of existence. That kind of policy treats festivals as if they’re inherently dangerous rather than contextual problems when they actually occur. Using https://psyfari.com/ as a case study really highlights how regulation can crush culture instead of supporting it.