Splendour in the Grass forced to reschedule for fourth time to July 2022

Splendour in the Grass organisers are hoping the fifth time is a charm, as the festival is pushed back again amid lockdowns and the lagging vaccine rollout.

Splendour in the Grass has become victim yet again to Australia’s Covid-19 situation, with festival organisers forced to reschedule the event for a fourth time to July 2022.

The 20th iteration of the beloved three-day festival, which is held at the North Byron Parklands, was initially planned for July 2020. It was then pushed back to October 2020, then July 2021 before being pushed back again to November 2021.

On Friday, amid the ongoing NSW lockdown, organisers announced that due to the country’s vaccine rollout progressing “more slowly than anticipated”, the festival would be moved yet again to Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 July, 2022.

The 20th iteration of Splendour in the Grass was initially planned for July 2020, but has been pushed back yet again until July 2022. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Co-founders Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco said they were confident the fifth attempt would enable the festival to finally go ahead.

“More of the population will be vaccinated, international talent will have the ability to enter the country more freely, and we’ll be able to deliver the Splendour in the Grass that you know and love,” they said in a statement.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the recent outbreak and lockdowns. We encourage you to get vaccinated if, or as soon as, you are eligible both for your safety and those around you.”

Organisers have asked people to hold on to their tickets in order to support the struggling industry. Picture: Cassandra Hannagan/Getty Images

In a pointed message to the Federal Government, the duo said Australia’s live music industry is on its knees, and the added pressure of no JobKeeper or wage subsidy is having “a major impact on the livelihoods of everyone within the sector”.

“Our industry is in desperate need of government help,” they said.

“We send a heartfelt thanks to all our of Splendour community for sticking with us during this time … Please retain your tickets and support live music if you wish to attend Splendour in July.”

Jimmy Barnes cancelled his tour this week. Picture: Daniel Boud

The international headliners Gorillaz, The Strokes and Tyler, The Creator have all confirmed they will retain their spots at the rescheduled festival.

The move comes just days after Bluesfest organisers were forced to push back their five-day festival yet again from October to April.

And, on Thursday, Jimmy Barnes announced the cancellation of his national tour, despite having already sold more than 20,000 tickets.

“Hopefully if we all do the right things and get vaccinated as soon as possible then we’ll be enjoying gigs together before too much longer,” he said in a statement.

Two other festivals, the Birdsville Big Red Bash and the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash, have told ticketholders they will need to show proof they have been vaccinated in order to enter this year.

The new policy, titled ‘No Jab No Jive’, was announced to ticketholders via email on Friday morning, in a bid to protect the “health and safety of patrons, staff, volunteers, contractors and vendors, as well as the local outback communities”.

“We were absolutely thrilled to be able to hold an amazing, COVID-Safe Birdsville Big Red Bash in July this year,” organisers said.

“However since then the Delta variant has changed the game.

“Staging festivals in such remote locations, where patrons come from all over Australia and travel through small regional and outback communities, many of which have large indigenous populations, has led us to carefully review our position on vaccinations.”

The email explained the Delta variant, which is highly transmissible, has “made it impossible for us to operate until vaccination levels are higher”.