Daylesford’s ChillOut Festival has just announced that the theme for it’s upcoming festival next year will be 2010: A Bush Odyssey.

Next year will mark the 13th year for ChillOut, which is now Australia’s largest gay and lesbian rural festival. Organisers say that the 2010 festival will include all the favourite major events including Carnival Day, the Dance Party and the Street Parade for which the festival has become famous.

ChillOut also announced that it has secured funding from The Hepburn Shire Council, providing the festival with $30,000 cash and over $7000 in-kind support, as part of a new Memorandum of Understanding between ChillOut and the council. It is the first time that the Council has provided such substancial support to the event. Tourism Victoria and Daylesford Macedon Ranges Tourism have also provided substantial funding for the 2010 festival, which will be used for marketing the festival and promoting ChillOut and Daylesford as a perfect tourist destination for the gay and lesbian community.

The futuristic theme was inspired by the science fiction film 2001 A Space Odyssey by film legend, Stanley Kubrik. But how does it fit in with what’s going on at ChillOut?

“This year’s theme is reflective of the journey of adventure coming to ChillOut is, and the journey of adventure and progress we’re taking as we go into future ChillOut festivals”, ChillOut President Adam Wright, told Same Same.

The 2010 ChillOut Festival will be held in Daylesford Victoria, over the Victorian Labour Day long weekend; 5 – 8 March 2010.