Byron Bay Bluesfest among the coronavirus casualties in 2020

Organisers of the five-day festival have scratched a longstanding event from the cultural calendar.

Safari suit Sunday — a yearly tradition for Bluesfest revellers — won’t be happening this year. Picture: Jane Dempster

Byron Bay Bluesfest organisers announced on Monday that the five-day camping festival would not proceed next month, thereby scratching a longstanding Easter tradition from the national cultural calendar.

“It is obvious we will not be on this Easter,” wrote festival director Peter Noble on Facebook. “We are heartbroken as we believe we were presenting one of the best ever bills of talent for you. I was in discussions right through last week with every headliner – they ALL said they’re coming as long as nothing occurred to prevent them from doing so. That is the level of commitment that our artists have, and I am proud of that.”

About 100,000 people were expecting to gather at Tygarah Tea Tree Farm, NSW from Thursday April 9 through the Easter long weekend, with headline acts including Crowded House, Dave Matthews Band, Patti Smith and Her Band, Alanis Morissette and Lenny Kravitz.

“We are now working through how to move forward and to give you details,” wrote Noble. “I thank you for allowing us enough time to get everything in place for the best possible outcome for everyone.”

First held at a former piggery named the Arts Factory before becoming one of the nation’s biggest multi-day outdoor events, Byron Bay Bluesfest last year celebrated its 30th anniversary while attracting a crowd of 105,000 over five days.

Under Noble, who has been its sole director and owner since 2008, the festival’s recent headliners have included Bob Dylan (2011), Santana (2013) and, in 2016, American hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar.

Revellers at Bluesfest, Byron Bay last Easter. Picture: Jane Dempster

Already said to be operating on tight margins, the effects of the cancellation are likely to be significant for Noble and his team.

“The days of putting on a music festival and making more money than it cost and limping into the next one — they’re gone,” he told The Australian last year. “The costs are huge and the profits very low. Many headline artists have doubled their fee ask in the last five or six five years. There’s been a big change in the industry.”

Bluesfest is only the latest in a string of major event cancellations to surface in recent days, prompting widespread concerns about a raft of careers attached to the live performance industry.

Its cousin north of the border, CMC Rocks QLD – a multi-day country music camping festival set to be held near Brisbane this weekend – announced its decision on Friday afternoon. “As a result of the Australian Government’s announcement this afternoon, holding the festival is now infeasible and as such, the March festival cannot proceed as planned,” wrote organisers.

Earlier on Friday, rock and metal-centric Download Festival announced that it would not proceed with events set for Sydney and Melbourne after US headline act My Chemical Romance pulled out. “The Download team has been working around the clock to create an unforgettable experience for heavy music fans and we are devastated not to be able to deliver this show to Australian Downloaders as planned,” said organisers.

Arts festival Vivid Sydney announced its cancellation on Sunday morning. The annual event – set to be held from late May to mid June – debuted in 2009 and is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. Last year, it was attended by a record 2.4 million people and generated $172 million for the NSW economy, according to Destination NSW.