Waterlogged
Given the parched nature of most of the continent, and the long drought we’ve been suffering through, you would have thought that a free, outdoor festival in Melbourne at the moment was a safe bet, despite our notoriously fickle weather. How unfortunate, then, that the drought appeared to break at the start of the main weekend of the Festival of the 12 th FINA World Championships last Friday. People were thin on the ground as I walked through Federation Square and Birrarung Marr in search of entertainment that evening, and those that were present were soon scared off by the deluge that bucketed down shortly after 6.30pm. It’s indicative of how scarce rain has become, though, that the majority of people being drenched were laughing and smiling as they alternatively ran for cover or walked delightedly through the downpour. The inclement weather meant that crowds were also low on Saturday, so that by the time French pyrotechnic outfit Groupe F performed their underwhelming Flame P...