Organisers postpone Wildlands Weekender Festival despite COVID situation easing

A popular music festival featuring star artists, including The Veronicas, has been postponed just days out from the event, leaving festival-goers furious.

Festival-goers have been left furious after a giant music festival featuring star acts such as The Veronicas and other popular DJs and performers was postponed just nine days out from the event.

Wildlands Weekender, presented by Beyond The Valley, Origin Fields and Untitled, was set for Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds on March 6 and 7 but organisers this morning announced the festival has been postponed for a later date.

“Despite working tirelessly through a COVIDSafe plan with the Department of Health, we have had to make the difficult decision to postpone Wildlands Weekender to a later date,” organisers said in an email to people, who had bought tickets.

Organiser's email about the postponement of the Wildlands Weekender festival

“The decision to postpone did not come lightly. After reviewing the ever evolving health and safety requirements, border restrictions and recent COVID outbreaks around the country, the resulting plans for Wildlands Weekender in March would have seen the production quality of the event compromised considerably.

“We want to deliver a high quality event and with these restrictions in place, we do not feel the event would be a product true to the traditional Wildlands standard as well as artists and attendees expectations.”

Jessica and Lisa Origliasso of The Veronicas were meant to play at the postponed Wildlands Weekender Festival.

The decision has angered people from around the country who bought tickets worth more than $140 to the event, which was also set to feature popular DJ What So Not, rapper Chillinit and many more Australian artists, with the COVID situation easing after only three locally acquired cases in the past seven days and none in the past 24 hours.

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“Wildlands Festival gonna post anything on Facebook about cancelling the festival 1 week before it starts????? Ty (thank you) for wasted flights and accommodation,” one person wrote on Facebook.

Australian DJ What So Not (Chris Emerson). Picture: Dylan Robinson

“Cancelling it a week before CLASSSSSY! Bet it had nothing to do with COVID safe plans – probably completely oversold the event and needed a way to back out,” another commented on the event’s Facebook page.

The event was also set to feature popular DJ What So Not, Australian rapper Chillinit and many more artists from around the country.

Wildlands burst onto the festival scene in December 2019 with organisers planning a two-day revamp after not being able to go ahead due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.