South Australian music festival Vintage Vibes scrapped weeks out

After a shock decision yesterday to call off Coastal Jam, organisers of another popular music festival have made a tough decision.

Another popular Aussie music festival has cancelled its January event citing economic pressures.

Vintage Vibes festival, a South Australian festival held in the Adelaide Hills, has been postponed just two weeks out from the event.

Organisers made the announcement on social media citing “supply chain issues”.

“This decision has not been made lightly; however, current economic pressures have created a landscape within which the festival cannot proceed this month,” an Instagram post read.

“Increased pressure on supply chains, especially to venues outside the CBD, alongside shifts in economic climates reflect the broader challenges many are facing within the industry.

Two major music festivals have announced they will not go ahead in January. Picture: Facebook

“It has become clear that moving forward with the event in two weeks would not meet the high standards of experiences we promise our attendees, artists, and partners.”

International headliners Rudimental and Groove Armada were slated for the two-day festival, as well as Milky Chance, The Teskey Brothers, DMA’S, Ball Park Music, Lord Huron, Meg Mac, Cub Sport, Drapht, Marlon, Sea Girls, Stellie, Surahn and Winston Surfshirt.

Groove Armada. Picture: Jeff Camden

The Teskey brothers. Picture: Getty Images

Refunds will be available but organisers are urging festival-goers to hold onto their tickets, as they would be rolled over for the rescheduled event later this year.

The news comes off the back of the cancellation of Coastal Jam on January 13.

The popular beachside touring festival in the picturesque Mornington Peninsula, two hours from Melbourne, had been running since 2017.

The shock announcement was made on the festival’s Instagram page where an emotional event organiser Adam Metwally said the decision had “not been made lightly” but described it as “necessary”.

“Everyone that I know has been feeling the sting of the cost of living crisis and one of the consequences of this has been the much slower than usual and very much last minute sales for boutique events like Coastal Jam,” he said.

“(Music fans) only have enough money for a few things now, naturally leading to the major festivals, massive international tours being the priority which I fully understand.

“Unfortunately it’s led to smaller boutique festivals and events such as ours to fall by the wayside.”

Coastal Jam and Vintage Vibes will not go ahead in January. Picture: Instagram

Mr Metwally said he did everything he could to keep ticket prices as low as possible but the concept of a “pop up music festival” was “very expensive to run, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis”.

“I’ve tried everything I could think of to try and steer the ship back in the right direction, and I have to make the call, but nothing I have come up with has worked. I’m sorry for letting people down,” he said.

Social media users were quick to send messages of support.

“You’ve crushed it for many years bro with Coastal Jam, you’ll be back bigger and better,” one person wrote.

“It’s never easy to make tough calls,” a second wrote, adding: “thank you for trying. And chin up.”

“You’ll be back bigger and better next time,” a third wrote.

Last year, organisers of Falls Festival announced its 2023/2024 event would not be going ahead – the third time in four years the event had been scrapped, following two Covid pandemic cancellations.

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