Artists are devastated and a NSW coastal town is facing a massive financial sting after Splendour in the Grass was cancelled days after tickets went on sale.
The annual music festival, which is held at the North Byron Parklands was due to be staged from July 19 to 21.
Tickets went on sale on March 21, with Australian pop superstar Kylie Minogue among the artists set to perform.
The line-up was announced on March 12 and also included Tash Sultana, Turnstile, Angie McMahon, G Flip, Yeat, Arcade Fire, Thelma Plum, Future, Middle Kids, Girl in Red, Hayden James, The Dreggs and Baby Gravy.
Folk duo The Dreggs described the festival’s cancellation as “a devastating hit to the Australian music industry” on Triple J’s Instagram post announcing the news.
DJ and songwriter Hayden James commented, “Love you Splendour”.
Triple J, a major sponsor of the event, confirmed on Wednesday the event was cancelled after reports had begun circulating.
AAP understands the news of Splendour’s cancellation was leaked ahead of a scheduled announcement.
Byron Shire Council Mayor Michael Lyon said the council was yet to receive official confirmation of the event’s cancellation as of Wednesday afternoon.
It was a huge blow to not only Byron but the music industry as a whole, with artists, local businesses and businesses that operated on festival grounds, he said.
“They would have an understanding of how many tickets would be sold in that first week (and that) would be a pretty good indication of where they land,” Mr Lyon told AAP.
“We’re talking about a global phenomenon in terms of the business model of festivals – how much they cost, how much costs have gone up.
“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.”
Mr Lyon said the news would not come as a major surprise to locals given the challenges facing the music industry.
Falls Festival, also organised by Secret Sounds and hosted in Byron, was cancelled in 2023 – however, Bluesfest was bucking the trend and kicking off at the beachside town on Thursday.
Splendour is the latest festival to be cancelled after Groovin the Moo organisers were forced to ditch the event’s 2024 tour in February due to insufficient ticket sales.
Phone numbers for Secret Sounds, the organiser of Splendour in the Grass, went unanswered on Wednesday but tickets were still available for purchase via Moshtix.
Festival organiser Secret Sounds is majority owned by global entertainment giant Live Nation, which in 2023 recorded its biggest results ever, with revenue up more than a third to US$22.7 billion ($A34.8 billion).
If any company could keep a festival going in the current climate, it was Live Nation, said author and academic Ben Green, who studies Australia’s live music sector.
Splendour in the Grass was Australia’s biggest single-ticket festival, he said, with the sector facing climbing overheads including insurance as well as extreme weather, while punters were in a cost of living crisis.
“This is the big one and the one you don’t expect to fold six days after going on sale,” Dr Green said.
Live music industry advocates on Tuesday warned the NSW government that festivals could soon be a thing of the past without further investment.
An additional 112 venues in NSW are offering live music opportunities thanks to state government reforms, Premier Chris Minns says.
But more than 25 music festivals across Australia have been cancelled since 2022 – nine of them in NSW – according to data from the Australian Festival Association.
Splendour in the Grass organisers had to apologise to patrons after the 2022 event when punters became stranded and bogged as the festival was held in extreme weather.
