Sunshine Coast Council cancels 2024 Caloundra Music Festival
The Caloundra Music Festival has become the latest casualty in a long line of canned music events, with the much-loved festival’s future uncertain amid rising costs.
Sunshine Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sunshine Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Caloundra Music Festival has become the latest casualty in a long line of canned music events, with the much-loved festival’s future uncertain amid rising costs.
The Sunshine Coast Council announced the music festival, held annually in Kings Beach, would be “paused” in 2024 due to operation costs and predictions cost-of-living pressures would hurt ticket sales.
Since the festival’s inception in 2007, the event has only missed one year in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.
A council spokesman said there was a possibility the festival would return in 2025.
“At a council meeting in February 2023, council backed the festival, giving it the opportunity to run for three years from 2023 to 2025. Running two events over three years may still be a viable option and a new 2025 date will be considered by the new council in coming months,” they said.
Festival Director Richie Eyles said the festival had been invaluable to many Australian artists over the years.
“CMF has supported hundreds of local artists who have shared the stage with Australian headliners such as Powderfinger, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, John Butler Trio, Jimmy Barnes, Empire of the Sun, The Cat Empire, Jet, The Temper Trap, just to name a few,” Mr Eyles said.
Councillor Terry Landsberg said increasing costs put the festival “in a precarious position” and an early decision had been made to avoid cancellation fees.
“The increasing expenditure required to deliver a safe and entertaining event while trying to keep tickets prices reasonable puts festivals like this in a precarious position,” Cr Landsberg said.
“We needed to make a decision early in the planning process to avoid the potential of costly cancellation fees.
“This is a real loss for our local event industry, and local businesses that have supported or benefited from this event for so many years.
“Hopefully, conditions will improve, and it can get back on its feet.”
The cancellation comes only weeks after major Australian music festival Splendour in the Grass canned its 2024 event.
Groovin the Moo, which was set to travel to the Sunshine Coast next month, was also unexpectedly cancelled after tickets were released.
NAMED: Man allegedly kidnaps woman, punches driver in head
A man has been charged with allegedly kidnapping a woman and repeatedly punching an elderly man in the head while trying to steal his car to escape police during wild scenes on the Sunshine Coast last night. SEE THE VIDEO.
$190m in works awarded for Borumba, including design of two huge worker camps
Three major works packages have been awarded for the Borumba Pumped Hydro developments, marking a significant next stage of the the 2000 MW renewable energy project.