Splendour in the Grass postponed and Groovin’ The Moo cancelled as coronavirus sends festivals into turmoil
Groovin’ The Moo has been cancelled, while Splendour in the Grass has been postponed, as the music industry struggles to cope with the impact of coronavirus.
Entertainment
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Beloved regional festival Groovin’ The Moo has been cancelled, while Splendour In The Grass will move to October, as the music industry continues to scramble to cope with the impact of coronavirus.
Groovin’ The Moo, which was due to kick off in late April in Wayville, South Australia, was unable to push its six events until later in the year because of the uncertainty around how long the ban against mass gatherings will remain in place.
“There is nothing that we love more than seeing our Moo Crew in each of our regions and we are deeply saddened that this won’t be happening this year,” organisers Steve Halpin and Rod Little said in a statement.
“Our sincere thanks to everyone who has been involved in GTM this year and in years past. We’re aware that this is impacting many people around the world and we encourage you to look after each other.”
Punters can either hang onto their tickets for next year’s festival or receive a full refund.
Splendour In The Grass organisers have moved their July camping festival in Byron Bay to October 23-25.
The festival directors Paul Piticco and Jessica Ducrou said they hoped local accommodation and travel providers would work with punters to shift their bookings without incurring penalties.
“We are not expecting any major upsets to the line-up thanks to the incredible support of the artists playing Splendour. Flume, The Strokes and Tyler, The Creator who have all confirmed their attendance for these new dates alongside most others,” they said.
“As this is moving quickly and we work through the detail there will be some programming changes but we are confident that rescheduling to October – a one off Spring edition of Splendour – is the best way to ensure we present the Splendour experience you all know and love.”
‘WE WILL NOT BE ON THIS EASTER’
The annual Easter camping festival Bluesfest in Byron Bay is another casualty of the pandemic, with promoter Peter Noble confirming it was cancelled when the ban against gatherings of more than 500 people was enacted.
The festival was set to be headlined by Crowded House, Dave Matthews Band, Patti Smith, Alanis Morissette and Lenny Kravitz.
“It is obvious we will not be on this Easter. We are heartbroken as we believe we were presenting one of the best ever bills of talent for you. I was in discussions right through last week with every headliner – they ALL said they’re coming as long as nothing occurred to prevent them from doing so. That is the level of commitment that our artists have, and I am proud of that,” Noble said in a statement to fans.
“I must now thank every one of you for supporting us. The emails and posts are deeply appreciated at this time.
“We are now working through how to move forward and to give you details. I thank you for allowing us enough time to get everything in place for the best possible outcome for everyone.”
Tens of thousands of artists, festival staff, technical crew, food and beverage workers, agents, managers and related workers in the live music industry have lost millions of dollars due to the cancellation of events.
In less than 48 hours since industry advocates launched the I Lost My Gig website on the weekend to keep track of the economic impact to musicians and associated workers, an estimated 20,000 work opportunities had been cancelled affecting more than 190,000 people, representing lost income of close to $50 million.
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A secret listening session to preview tracks from Katy Perry’s new record was abruptly cancelled last Thursday when it was revealed two staff members of her Australian label had been exposed to the virus.
Staff at the Universal Music Australia building in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, were immediately told to quarantine themselves until Monday and the offices were locked down.
Perry was just minutes away from attending the listening session in Redfern for about 30 label staff and music media representatives when Universal cancelled the event.
Legendary American altrocker Pixies have postponed the rest of their Australian tour due to the potential health risks during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Out of caution for current public health concerns, Pixies are postponing the remaining Australian shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth,” the band said in a statement issued by their promoter Live Nation on Thursday morning.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, but the wellbeing of our fans is always our top priority.
“Rescheduled dates for all of these shows will be announced soon. We ask that our fans retain their tickets as they will be honoured on the new dates. Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to returning to Australia.”
Live Nation is working with the band to reschedule the postponed dates for later in 2020 and hope to announce these as soon as possible.
American artists including Mariah Carey, Green Day, Richard Marx and Madonna have canned shows in Asia or Europe due to the health crisis.