THE Esoteric Festival due to start in Donald today was cancelled yesterday evening, while about 2000 attendees awaited entry to the festival grounds.

Organisers instructed attendees to leave the site and find alternate accommodation.

Swan Hill Police Acting Inspector Brian Hansen advised the Buloke Shire community to expect high volumes of traffic in and around the area over the weekend.

"Attendees may decide to stay and camp over the long weekend or travel onto another location, so there will be a lot of caravans on the road," he said.

"Motorists need to be patient, show some courtesy on the roads, and put a plan in place to get where you're going safely with possible delays.

"It's a long weekend anyway so there will be a high visible presence of police on the roads."

Community group Donald 2000 is sharing resources and support for stranded attendees.

Ticketholders are advised to contact event organisers for further information.