Splendour in the Grass cancelled for second year in a row

Splendour in the Grass, one of Australia’s biggest music festivals, has been cancelled for the second year in a row, with its organisers saying it needs “a little more time to recharge”.

Punters had previously been told the festival was “taking the year off” in 2024.

Splendour in the Grass 2023 failed to sell out, with ticket sales down 30 per cent on the previous year.Credit: Bianca Holderness

“Sorry it’s been so quiet,” the organisers wrote in a statement posted to the festival’s Instagram account on Thursday afternoon. “The rest of the festival team have still been busy cooking up some awesome new things for music lovers in Australia, but Splendour needs a little more time to recharge and we won’t be back this year.”

“Think of it as a breather so we can come back even bigger and better when the time is right. Lots of other huge events on the horizon so keep an ear to the ground in the coming months – we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on!”

The festival, usually held annually at the North Byron Parklands in Byron Shire, NSW, was also cancelled in 2024 due to “unexpected events”.

The news came just two weeks after the festival announced its line-up and that Kylie Minogue was to headline the event. Ticket holders were refunded following the cancellation.

Splendour has faced numerous challenges over the past few years. In 2022, the festival’s first day was cancelled after rain and flooding led to chaos on site. And in 2023, the festival – headlined by Lizzo, Flume and Mumford & Sons – failed to sell out, with ticket sales down 30 per cent on the previous year.

Olly Arkins, managing director of the Australian Festival Association, called the news “devastating”, but added they “respect and understand [the organisers’] decision to pause”.

“Globally, we are seeing a shift in the live music landscape, with artists increasingly opting for headline arena or stadium tours,” they said. “This has impacted festivals of Splendour’s size in attracting the calibre of talent audiences have come to expect.”

And Splendour isn’t the only event struggling. The entire industry is battling growing supply costs and artist fees, increased insurance premiums and changes in audience ticket-buying behaviour (particularly among younger punters) during an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Festivals are also increasingly getting postponed, relocated or cancelled due to extreme weather. Pitch Festival in Victoria’s south-west was called off three days into its five-day schedule last March as a result of soaring temperatures and extreme fire danger.

It’s a difficult environment for ticket-buyers to feel confident in their purchase – particularly for an event like Splendour for which many people travel, resulting in extra costs for airfares and accommodation.

“Splendour is a cornerstone of the Australian festival landscape, and we look forward to its future,” Arkins said.

But, despite the assurance that the festival will return “bigger and better” in the future, some within the industry are not so optimistic.

“Splendour isn’t coming back,” said veteran music journalist Mikey Cahill. “The brand has suffered too badly.”

The organisers of the event were contacted for further comment.

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