Falls Festival’s original home at Lorne for sale
The owners of Falls Festival’s home aren’t expecting an encore, after putting the property up for sale six years since it last hosted the world’s biggest music stars. See what it looks like now.
The owners of Lorne’s famous Falls Festival site are hoping there will be no encore after listing the 68ha Otways property for sale.
The property near the Great Ocean Road resort town hosted the Falls event between 1993 and 2018, but the music has been silent for the past five years.
At its peak, the Erskine Falls Rd property was capable of accommodating more than 15,000 music fans at the annual New Year’s Eve multi-day event.
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The owners’ farm manager has maintained the property, which hosts an impressive list of buildings and infrastructure, including the main stage.
The ownership group has made the decision to sell Falls and put the proceeds into other ventures.
Price expectations for the property are between $2.25m and $2.5m, plus GST.
Ray White Rural Victoria director Jason Hellyer, who is handling the sale by deadline campaign closing March 5, said the property presents as a lifestyle, tourism or education opportunity.
“You really need to explore the property to truly understand what’s on offer,” he said.
“Beyond the manicured grounds, stage complex and manager’s cottage at the front of the property, there’s a network of drivable tracks that traverse through the Otway forest leading to a campsite complete with a kitchen hut. It’s quite amazing.”
Mr Hellyer said the property has a rural conservation zone but could be used for farming.
However, he said the site offers significant upside for buyers considering short-stay accommodation or commercial opportunities, such as a school camp.
“I anticipate it will be a lifestyle opportunity for someone and a beautiful block at that,” Mr Hellyer said.
“Alternatively, it does have a heap of commercial opportunity for an education group, for example that might want it for a campground. It could be an accommodation opportunity.
“From a tourism perspective, it’s got plenty of upside and certainly from an education perspective it has got plenty of upside because the facilities are just excellent – the facilities are already to go.”
The Great Ocean Road attracts more than 7 million visitors a year.
The owners poured a significant investment into the Falls Festival site to accommodate music fans and Australian and global artists, such as Iggy Pop, Blondie, Silverchair, The Black Eyed Peas, Billy Bragg and Radio Birdman.
Although some of the concert infrastructure has been relocated to other sites around the country, the main stage, medical centre, 3-phase power and water infrastructure remain.
“To replace what is here, both above ground and below, would be astronomical in today’s money, and although power to power poles across the property has been largely decommissioned, it’s all there ready to go,” Mr Hellyer said.
The entire 68ha property can be purchased in line, though there are two parcels without significant infrastructure, measuring 5.19ha and 4.34ha, while the main Falls site measures 59.01ha and has a three-bedroom cottage.
Mr Helleyer and Davina Pickles are calling for written offers by March 5.
Originally published as Falls Festival’s original home at Lorne for sale