How Splendour in the Grass secured Kylie Minogue as 2024 headline act
Kylie Minogue is the sort of widely respected artist whose fanbase spans generations, and Splendour in the Grass organisers are hoping she will lure attendees to North Byron Parklands in July.
When Splendour in the Grass secured Kylie Minogue to be one of the NSW music festival’s headline acts for 2024, co-founder Jessica Ducrou knew she had locked in much more than an exclusive performance.
Minogue, 55, is the sort of widely respected artist whose fanbase spans generations, and organisers are hoping her presence will lure attendees to North Byron Parklands from near and far in July.
For Ducrou and her team, securing Minogue for a one-off concert was a major coup.
“It’s something that we’d considered for a number of years,” she told The Australian. “I’m a fan, obviously, from way back. It just felt like she was having a moment, and [a crowd of] all ages is interested in her.
“I don’t see it as some sort of heritage booking, by any stretch. I think she’s an Australian icon. It seems like she’s super keen to play it, and I think it’s going to be great for her.”
The Melbourne-born singer-songwriter continues to find new audiences, most recently by landing a surprise global hit with Padam Padam, her Grammy- and ARIA-Award-winning single released last year ahead of her 16th album, Tension.
Minogue’s booking agent in London, Emma Banks at CAA, has been to the Byron Bay festival previously, and that connection helped seal the deal only last month.
“Line-ups come together at different stages. It’s rare that you’ve got a headliner confirmed 12 months out,” Ducrou said. “They all come in at different times, and sometimes you don’t even have the spot filled a week before the festival announces.”
Speaking of Banks, who also represents artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry, Muse and Florence + the Machine, Ducrou added: “Emma knew that Splendour would be the right place for Kylie to take a headline position.”
Minogue’s last Australian tour was in March 2019, in support of her country-tinged 14th album Golden. Since November, she has been performing a Las Vegas residency, with a total of 20 concerts booked at The Venetian through to May.
Her appearance at the first night of the annual winter camping festival, which has a capacity of about 50,000 people, will take place on Friday, July 19, followed by her fellow headliners – US hip-hop artist Future and Canadian indie rock act Arcade Fire – who will play on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The three bookings top a diverse line-up that stands out amid a tough marketplace for music festivals in 2024, wherein many promoters are struggling to differentiate their events and attract fickle ticket buyers.
“It’s really difficult at the moment, booking headliners globally; all festivals are finding it challenging,” Ducrou said. “I’m excited that our line-up is, in some ways, so different to what’s playing out around the rest of the world, where you’re seeing largely the same acts.”
Last July, Splendour in the Grass was headlined by US pop singer-songwriter Lizzo (Friday), Australian electronic musician Flume (Saturday) and British folk-rock act Mumford & Sons (Sunday).
It was the first year since 2011 that it failed to sell out. Sales were down 30 per cent on the muddy, troubled but sold-out 2022 edition, wherein all performances on Friday were cancelled out of concerns for patron safety.
In this economic climate, few promoters can afford to be brave or foolish enough to take their audiences for granted.
With tickets on sale on Thursday, how soon will Ducrou and her team know whether their line-up featuring Kylie and co has struck a chord with music fans?
“By the end of next week, we’ll know where we’re sitting,” she said. “We are trending ahead of last year at the moment, which is encouraging – but we’re certainly not resting on our laurels.”
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