Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival to go ahead at new location north of the Southern Downs

An electronic music festival has confirmed its next steps for the event, after it was refused a permit by the regional area it has called home for the past five years.

Rabbits Eat Lettuce 2025 event is hanging in the balance as it waits for Southern Downs Regional Council's approval.

A popular music festival will see a major change this year after calling the Southern Downs its home for the past five years.

Music and arts festival Rabbits Eat Lettuce won’t return to Cherrabah Resort this Easter long weekend after Southern Downs Regional Council chose not to put forward the event’s Temporary Entertainment Event Permit at their March 19 meeting.

The event received a major blow last month when Southern Downs Regional Council refused an application for the festival to expand across 12 days each year, citing incompatibility with the amenity in the rural zone, emergency management, environmental impact and community safety concerns as drivers.

Festival organiser Erik Lamir released a statement on March 20 announcing the 2025 event would go ahead at another location, 300km north of the Southern Downs.

“We are incredibly grateful to the South Burnett for recognising the value of music and arts cultural events,” Mr Lamir’s statement said.

“We are beyond excited to bring REL Festival to the beautiful Crystal Springs property at Stonelands and look forward to welcoming our REL community there in just four weeks’ time.”

Annual EDM festival Rabbits Eat Lettuce is at risk of being postponed in 2025 as it continues to wait for council's approval. Photo: Supplied

The vote was initially hung, with councillors Cynthia McDonald, Ross Bartley, Russell Wantling and mayor Melissa Hamilton opposing the application, with the remaining councillors Morwenna Harslett, Sheryl Windle, Carla Pidgeon and Sarah Deane in support.

Ms Hamilton exercised her casting vote to refuse the application.

Mr Lamir initially released a statement pleading with council to make a decision on the temporary entertainment event permit at the next meeting on March 19.

“The fate of this year’s festival now rests squarely in the hands of the Southern Downs councillors, which are yet to add the REL Temporary Entertainment Event Permit application to the meeting agenda for discussion and a vote at their next council meeting,” the statement said.

“REL 2025 has support from QLD Police, QLD Ambulance and QLD Fire Department for the festival and is otherwise ready to proceed at Cherrabah Resort.

“Festival organisers have been exploring all options to deliver REL 2025 and have expressed concerns that SDRC has failed to follow due process due to political influences.”

Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival organiser Erik Lamir.

This year’s festival has already exceeded ticket sale expectations with the event almost completely sold out, according to the statement.

“The possible postponement is even more disappointing given that ticket sales for REL 2025 are the strongest they have ever been, with this year’s festival on track to be a sellout event and the most successful edition to date, despite the tough market conditions faced by the festival industry,” the statement said.

“We urge the Southern Downs Regional Councillors and Mayor to recognise the significance of their upcoming decision. The responsibility for ensuring that REL 2025 proceeds as planned now lies entirely in their hands.

“If the matter is not added to the March 19 agenda, they will be responsible for blocking a $3m Easter injection into the local Warwick economy.”

In response to the festival’s concerns, Southern Downs mayor Melissa Hamilton said council would not publicly comment on next week’s meeting agenda.

“At the Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday 19 February 2025, councillors considered a Development Application for the expansion of the Rabbits Eat Lettuce event. Council took a long time and a lot of effort to properly consider the application,” Ms Hamilton said in a statement.

“We held two separate councillor information sessions to hear from both the applicant and the opposing submitters. We heard the community concerns.

“We have taken expert legal advice in relation to both the development application and the applications for a temporary event permit.”

Ms Hamilton said council listened to the concerns of Elbow Valley residents and chose to back the community in making their decision on the development application.

“The vast majority of the Elbow Valley community were opposed to the development application,” Ms Hamilton said.

“While supporters of the festival list its attractions as having “a strong sense of community”, they ignore the community most impacted by this festival. Our Council thought it was imperative that their voices were heard.”

Originally published as Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival to go ahead at new location north of the Southern Downs