Splendour in the Grass 2022: wild weather blamed for cancelled festival
The long awaited return of Splendour in the Grass after a three-year hiatus has been dealt a blow, with wild weather causing the cancellation of day one. Read the latest updates here.
Byron Shire
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Hundreds of disappointed revellers are being sent back to camping grounds after they were turned away from Splendour in the Grass.
Wild weather has caused festival organisers to cancel day one of the festival, angering local festival-goers.
Having queued in traffic for hours and again in muddy lines, patience is wearing thin for those who paid for Friday tickets.
Rhys Williams and Adreana Louise from Logan were angry that more notice wasn’t given if event organisers knew about the weather in advance.
“That low has been hanging off the coast all day, they could have let everyone know four hours ago,” he said.
“They could have cancelled at like 10 in the morning.
“It was already flooded.”
Adreana: “It‘s really upsetting because we waited two years.
“There’s nothing we can do about it, it’s been rescheduled so many times and it’s just ridiculous.”
A group of young Byron students who received single-day tickets as birthday presents were turned around and sent back to the camping area.
“We only had a ticket for Friday and decided to leave given all the major acts won’t be there,” Neve Wallington said.
Neve’s mother Sarah said her kids were “very disappointed” given the cost of the tickets.
A statement released by the festival’s organisers said: “A significant weather system is currently sitting off the east coast and may reach land later today bringing more rainfall.
“In the interest of patron safety and in consultation with all relevant emergency services, we have decided to err on the side of caution and cancel performances on the main stages today only – Amphitheatre, Mix Up, GW McLennan and Park(lands) Stages.
“All of our destination spaces (Global Village, Tipi Forest, Forum, Comedy and Science tents etc) will remain open today for patrons who are already onsite as well as those at our satellite campground at Byron Events Farm. Please relax and enjoy what is open.
“Day patrons are asked not to attend to the festival today while we work on repairs.
“In the coming week Moshtix will be in contact with the ticket holders affected directly, via the email address used to purchase their ticket, for further information on refunds. We ask for patience while we work through the refund process.
“Please be assured that our event team is working very hard to provide the best experience possible under the current circumstances.
“We look forward to Saturday and Sunday programming moving ahead as planned.
EARLIER:
Splendour is off to a chaotic start after a three-year-hiatus. Locals navigating a gauntlet of traffic queues, potholed back roads and revellers sleeping in cars say the festival has blocked them from travelling safely.
A recent announcement that vehicles and campers are no longer allowed entry into the North Byron Parklands (NBP) has left those travelling to the festival in long traffic queues, with all incoming campers told to divert to the Byron Events Farm (BEF).
The wet weather and traffic queues are causing issues for the surrounding suburbs, with families desperately stuck on the highway.
Hannah Lange and her two young children waited “hours” to get home – as some took to sleeping in their cars on Friday night.
“Locals should have an option to get home safely,” Ms Lange said on a Splendour in the Grass Facebook post.
Ms Lange said she spent hours navigating “dodgy backroads” while the rain lashed.
“Now I have to keep my kids home today which impacts my work and us financially. After what we’ve all been through with floods, there should’ve been better consideration to us all,” she said.
Ms Lange said for a community trying to rebuild, she feels as if a location change should’ve been considered or “better road access”.
“We’re a community trying to get back on our feet and this is so inconsiderate and dangerous,” she said.
Local man Jamini Hut says the changing face of the festival over the years has left many annoyed.
“In the beginning we were very very happy when Splendour started as it would include locals and neighbours and they would give out free tickets. Now it’s too much of a big money making thing,” he said.
“I don’t know where the income the organisers make goes but I don’t think it is towards any social work or donations to the homeless people that are here. It’s sad when people make money but they don’t share their money with the community,” he said
Despite local backlash, Byron Shire Council released a statement describing the festival as a “very professional, well organised event”.
Festival organisers are offering free bus shuttles to the BEF campgrounds, where the NBP tickets can be scanned and used. Despite the camper chaos accessible flash camp and tent city patrons will still be admitted into the parklands.
Revellers are bracing for extreme weather as the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting heavy winds and rain of up to 40mm over the weekend.
Splendour initially announced an extension of campgrounds entry hours at the NBP to allow for the massive traffic delays.
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