Horror Movie Campout

Overview

Festivals have evolved. Nowadays, they're almost unrecognisable from the pits of despair we experienced in our teens — and there's a festival to suit almost everyone. If your bag is being terrified until you poop your pants, Horror Movie Campout is the festival for you.

After debuting in Sydney and Melbourne in 2015, and spreading its scares to Brisbane and Adelaide in 2016, the event is back to embrace all things frightening once more Basically, it's the Meredith of monstrosity, the Splendour of spookiness…kind of exactly like Stereosonic in its current zombied state.

So what goes on at a horror festival? Well, it's full of horrifying spectres and hair-raising scenes of horror (aka, your blood will literally curdle). We've had some clues from previous years: yep, survivors camped out overnight in the woods (first mistake right there, seriously). They reported roaming zombies, all the classic pop-culture murderers you can shake your pathetic choice of weapon at and of course, menacing clowns. Not only do the organisers hire actors to scare the bejesus out of you, but everyone comes to event dressed in costume. So get down to your local stuff shop before they sell out of 1920s nightgowns, fake blood and Kabuki masks.

You can expect a horrifying 'death chamber' maze, as well as a main stage with live music (will it be horrifying? They haven't specified, but probably). Then, the main event is a series of curated horror shorts followed by two headliners, decided by you, the victims.

The Melbourne campout is happening on December 2 and 3 (giving you just enough time to recover from Halloween) at the very remote and haunted Point Cook Homestead. Hint: old Point Cook has seen its fair share of murders.