The cancellation of Australia’s largest single-ticket festival, Splendour in the Grass, has left artists devastated and a coastal town in New South Wales facing significant financial repercussions.
After tickets went on sale, organisers Secret Sounds announced the cancellation, promising refunds and expressing gratitude for understanding, stated a late Wednesday statement.
“We know there were many fans excited for this year’s line-up and all the great artists planning to join us, but due to unexpected events we’ll be taking the year off,” the statement said.
The annual music festival, scheduled from July 19 to 21 at North Byron Parklands, faced cancellation after tickets went on sale last Thursday.
Headliners included pop sensation Kylie Minogue, with an impressive lineup featuring Tash Sultana, Turnstile, and others.
Ticketholders are assured automatic refunds through Moshtix, with extra time allowed over the Easter holidays for processing.
The lineup announcement on March 12 generated excitement, with artists expressing their disappointment over the cancellation.
Folk duo The Dreggs lamented the setback as “a devastating hit to the Australian music industry,” while DJ Hayden James sent his love to Splendour.
Byron Shire Council mayor Michael Lyon acknowledged the blow not only to Byron but also to the wider music community.
“It is worrying in terms of the future of festivals and certainly for Byron Shire, (which) has got a proud history of hosting big-name acts and festivals,” Lyon told AAP.
NSW Music Minister John Graham expressed deep disappointment over Splendour’s cancellation, describing it as devastating.
“The festival industry is under extreme pressure and I am deeply worried about the health of the festival scene here in NSW,” he said.
“The NSW government offered financial support to help the event proceed this year.”
Falls Festival, another event organized by Secret Sounds and held in Byron, met a similar fate with its cancellation in 2023. However, Bluesfest is defying the trend and is set to commence in the beachside town on Thursday.
Splendour’s cancellation follows Groovin the Moo’s 2024 tour cancellation due to insufficient ticket sales in February. The festival faced criticism in 2022 when heavy rain caused flooding, leaving attendees stranded and bogged, prompting organizers to issue apologies.
Secret Sounds, majority owned by global entertainment giant Live Nation, reported record-breaking revenue in 2023, reaching $34.8 billion (US$22.7 billion).
According to data from the Australian Festival Association, over 25 music festivals across Australia have been canceled since 2022, with nine of them in NSW.