Tickets being sold to northern beaches music festival that might not get approved
Organisers are selling 10,000 tickets to a major northern beaches music festival next month, which is set to feature star acts including Angus and Julia Stone. But the event hasn’t yet been approved to go ahead.
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Organisers are selling 10,000 tickets for a music festival — despite not yet being given permission to hold the event.
The Drop Festival has signed up acts including Angus and Julia Stone, Client Liaison and Hockey Dad for the one day event on March 23 at Manly’s Keirle Park.
However, organisers Sim Events & Entertainment only put in a development application to Northern Beaches Council for the event on January 23.
More than $1 million worth of tickets — 10,000 at $101.47 — went on sale the day before, January 22 at 9am.
The Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel will decide whether to approve the event on March 6 — just 17 days before the festival.
The event is being held to coincide with the Sydney Pro surfing event which rolls into town between March 16 and 24.
Residents are still being consulted on the application with a number of locals already contacting Northern Beaches Council to register their objections.
“How are 10,000 people going to access Keirle Park?” Russ Lewis, of Manly, submitted. “What a disruption to the community around this area.”
Kay Harris added: “Would have been a good idea to ask the residents about this two years ago when this festival was in its planning phase not six weeks before it is to go ahead, tickets sold, bands booked, food and alcohol vendors booked etc.”
“In addition to the noise, which would impact on homes several kilometres away, there would be traffic and parking problems pre and post festival, as many truck movements would be necessary during the assembling disassembling of the stage,” Anne Bradley, from Manly, said in a letter to the Manly Daily.
“I hope the organisers are proposing paying huge amounts to clean up all the unpleasant rubbish which will undoubtedly remain.”
A festival spokesman said there should be no concerns over the festival taking place and said it was common in the industry to sell tickets before the event had been given the green light.
“We are 100 per cent sure the event will go ahead, there should be no concerns at all,” the spokesman said.
“We want to make this event a success and we have consulted widely and planned to ensure it is.”
Asked if there is a contingency for ticket holders if approval is not given to the festival, he said: “We have contingencies for everything.”
Northern Beaches Council confirmed the event would need approval before it can go ahead.
“It is currently under assessment by council.
“Members of the public can make a submission via council’s website by February 11 2019 as part of this process and are encouraged to do so.
The application will be determined by the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel on March 6.”
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