Big Day Out, Groovin The Moo: A throwback to Qld’s favourite lost festivals
Queensland has had its fair share of fan-favourite festival closures. Take a look tour of the beloved festivals that have ceased operations, from Bundy’s Beerfestabull to Big Day Out. SEE FLASHBACK GALLERIES
Sunshine Coast
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Music lovers were heartbroken in March when it was announced the beloved Byron music festival Splendour in the Grass was cancelled.
Attracting crowds of around 50,000 people per year, festival-goers were shocked to find out the popular three-day event was scrapped, with organisers citing ‘unexpected events’ as the cause.
It comes just weeks after Groovin’ the Moo, another popular live music event announced it would be cancelling its 2024 tour due to low ticket sales across six regional cities, including Townsville and the Sunshine Coast.
And while both came as a shock, it may not be a surprise to frequent festival-goers who have seen many of their favourite events disappear over the years.
A new research report by Soundcheck revealed the average cost to stage a music festival in Australia is almost $4 million with insurance costing excess of $250,000, on top of premiums which have doubled since Covid-19.
High costs for talent, Australian weather conditions, regulatory red tape and police and security requirements have also stopped many beloved festivals in their tracks.
From regional country festivals to major national touring events, take a blast from the past and explore Queensland’s festivals of yesteryear and our photo galleries of the events.
Caloundra Music Festival - cancelled 2024
The latest casualty in the music festival scene, the Sunshine Coast Council announced Caloundra Music Festival would be “paused” in 2024 due to operation costs and cost-of-living pressures impacting ticket sales.
Started in 2007 and held annually in Kings Beach, Caloundra Music Festival has welcomed headliners such as Powderfinger, Jimmy Barnes, Empire of the Sun and Missy Higgins over its 16 years.
The festival has not been cancelled indefinitely, with a council spokesperson stating “a new 2025 date will be considered by the new council in coming months”.
READ MORE: CALOUNDRA MUSIC FESTIVAL CANNED FOR 2024
NQ’s Rock‘n Country – cancelled 2024
A two-day rock and country festival in Mackay, NQ’s Rock‘n Country announced it would not be going ahead in 2024, sharing the news in a Facebook post in March of this year.
The festival organisers announced that with “no further support from the government” plans for a 2024 event would not be going ahead.
“We hope this is not the end for NQ’s Rock‘n Country,” the post said.
“And will [sic.] keep you updated as things progress.”
The country festival had been experiencing issues in 2023 when festival organisers set up a GoFundMe to raise more money for the event after receiving no funding from the government, resulting in them condensing the three-day festival to a two-day event.
NQ’s Rock‘n Country was situated at the Mackay Showgrounds and helped support Variety – the Children’s Charity and offered camping options to ticket holders.
Music was the festival’s main attraction as it showcased local and national acts on the main stage, including Shannon Noll, Morgan Evans, Hayley Jensen, Colin Lillie and Sons of Atticus.
Groovin the Moo – cancelled 2024
A beloved music festival for regional areas around the country, Groovin’ the Moo announced it would not be going ahead on February 14, 2024.
Established in 2005, the festival began in Gloucester in NSW and was introduced to Queensland in 2008 when Townsville was included in the tour circuit.
Groovin’ the Moo soon became known for its incredible line-ups of local and international artists over the years, including Billie Eilish, Tones and I, Paul Kelly, DZ Deathrays, Charli XCX, Spiderbait, Silverchair, Tame Impala and Hilltop Hoods.
The Sunshine Coast was introduced into Groovin’ The Moo’s festival circuit in 2023, using Kawana Sports Western Precinct as the site.
Following COVID-19, Groovin’ The Moo sales continued to decline and the festival organisers announced in February of this year that it would be cancelling future events due to “insufficient ticket sales”.
READ MORE: GROOVIN THE MOO 2023 PHOTO GALLERY SUNSHINE COAST
Elements Music Festival – cancelled 2024
Boutique Sunshine Coast music festival, Elements, announced its cancellation in early 2024, citing rising costs, inflation and ticket sales as influential factors in its cancellation.
In a lengthy update, the festival organisers announced a ‘relentless series of setbacks’ meant they had to accept defeat and cancel the beloved Queensland event.
The organisers cited the selling of the former festival site LandCruisers 4WD Park as a major contributor to the festival’s closure, noting ‘if this hadn’t happened, Elements would still be profitable and financially sustainable’.
Organisers also pointed out that supplier costs had skyrocketed by 30 per cent due to inflation, and the biggest expenses, such as medics, security, permits and infrastructure were incredibly costly.
The festival officially announced its closure on January 5, 2024, and its company Ten Tonne Events was put into liquidation in March.
In its prime, Elements Music Festival was a four-day family-friendly event that offered electronic music, camping, First Nations workshops, live painting, comedians, dancers, magicians and full accessibility.
This That Festival – cancelled 2023
A one day festival with a number of EDM, pop and rock acts, This That Festival was cancelled in 2023 for the second year in a row.
Scheduled to go ahead in Newcastle, NSW and Moreton Bay’s Sandstone Park, the organisers of This That announced the festival would not be going ahead two months before the event, citing ‘challenging economic conditions’.
“This difficult decision was reached due to the challenging economic conditions we have been working within this past year, and the many factors that have been impacted by this” the organisers said in an Instagram post.
“It has left us feeling that the This That experience you have come to know and love … would only be dampened if we were to forge ahead.”
The 2023 event had a line-up of international and local acts including Porter Robinson, Gang of Youths, Peking Duk, Alex Lahey, Hockey Dad and more.
Lunar Electric Music Festival – cancelled 2023
An EDM, hip-hop, rap and trap music festival, Lunar Electric Music Festival promised to be one of the biggest electronic dance music events before it was cancelled in 2023.
With promised performances from Doja Cat, 6ix9ine, Russ Millions and more, the February 2023 event, to be held at Doug Jennings Park on the Gold Coast, was initially postponed to September 2023.
However, the company behind the festival Intensive Events went into liquidation in July 2023.
Intensive Events Pty Ltd reportedly owed creditors more than $2 million, as reported by The Courier Mail, including $110,000 to Australian rock duo, The Veronicas.
The Grass Is Greener – cancelled 2023
A nationwide festival showing in Cairns, Gold Coast, Geelong and Canberra, The Grass Is Greener festival was cancelled in 2022, leaving a reported $3m in debt to suppliers and ticket holders.
In an Instagram post, the festival organisers announced that the Canberra and Geelong legs of The Grass is Greener would not be going ahead, while the Queensland events would be continuing, despite headlining acts pulling out last minute.
The company behind the festival, Hand Picked Events and Marketing went into administration on December 8, 2022, with the sole director Oliver Frost telling the Gold Coast Bulletin it was due to ‘spiralling costs following Covid’ and ‘an already tough environment for the live entertainment and hospitality industries’.
The Cairns and Gold Coast festivals featured a line-up of artists including Sticky Fingers, Wafia, Brux, Markus Mark, Pnau and Sidepiece.
FOMO Festival – cancelled 2020
A one-day festival founded in Brisbane in 2016, FOMO Festival was canned in 2020 due to a significant losses from Covid-19 lockdowns.
An event promising ‘one stage with no clashes’, FOMO Festival was placed in liquidation in 2020, reportedly owing creditors nearly $5 million.
The festival which toured in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne had a notable line-up each year, including international acts such as Post Malone, Lizzo, SZA, BROCKHAMPTON and Nicki Minaj.
Centenary Rocks Festival – cancelled 2017
Founded in 2004 by the Centenary Community Connections (CCC) volunteer group, the Centenary Rocks Festival was a two day festival in July that brought live music, entertainment, amusement rides, fireworks and market stalls to the Rocks Riverside Park in Seventeen Mile Rocks.
The family-friendly festival was one of the premier events in Brisbane’s western suburbs and was led by the CCC volunteer hub manager and president Belinda Karnaghan in a move to create an event for the community to connect and showcase local talent.
Headlining acts of the festival included Darryl Cotton, Russell Morris, William Barton, Ross Wilson, Mental as Anything and Kon English.
In 2017, the CCC announced that the 2017 Centenary Rocks Festival would be its last after facing a lack of funding, a lack of volunteers and the CCC team being at different stages of their lives and unable to attend to the demands of the much-loved festival.
Stereosonic – cancelled 2016
An annual EDM festival held in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne, Stereosonic Music Festival sold more than 200,000 tickets each year before it was cancelled in 2016.
Founded in 2007 in a collaboration between companies Totem Industries and Onelove Music Group, Stereosonic had an impressive line-up year on year with acts such as LMFAO, Tiesto, Avicii, Peking Duk, Zedd and Empire of the Sun.
Combining the two separate companies in 2010 to form Totem Onelove Group, the company announced the 2016 festival would not be going ahead, with plans to return “bigger and better” in 2017.
No information has been released about Stereosonic’s return since 2016.
In 2014, more than 100 people were arrested at Brisbane’s Stereosonic festival, mainly for drug offences.
Easterfest – cancelled 2016
Originally named the Australian Gospel Music Festival, Easterfest was Toowoomba’s annual Christian music festival that began in the Empire Theatre in 1999.
Easterfest saw a number of international and local headliners, including US Christian bands Red, Switchfoot and Emery.
The three-day festival once attracted crowds of more than 15,000 people but saw a decline in numbers in its final years.
Easterfest announced its closure in 2015, with board chairman Tony Gear calling it ‘the most difficult decision we’ve had to make’.
“We desperately wanted to find a way forward after this year’s festival,” said Mr Gear.
“ In recent weeks we’ve looked at all the options, we’ve considered all the factors and come to the conclusion that this current event model isn’t sustainable.”
Easterfest ran for 17 years before its cancellation in 2016.
Grotto Fest – cancelled 2015
A boutique festival that started as a backyard party in 2008, Grotto Fest was once a blues and rock festival hosted in the small down of Marburg, situated between Ipswich and the Somerset region.
Featuring acts such as Nicky Bomba, Drawn From Bees and 8 Ball Aitken, GrottoFest was a non-profit event that donated its profits to charities and local causes, while also “putting Marburg on the music map”.
Hosted at Jay-Lee Park, the event promised 12 hours of blues, roots, reggae and rock music from international and local acts.
Grotto Fest announced it would not be continuing in 2015.
Big Day Out – cancelled 2015
With major headliners including Nirvana, Metallica, Blink 182 and Red Hot Chili Peppers, Big Day Out was once one of the country’s biggest national music events.
Hosted on the Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, Big Day Out premiered in Sydney on Australia Day in 1992 and was known for showcasing international and local acts in pop, rock, electronic, hip-hop and punk genres.
190 PHOTOS: Big Day Out music festival flashback series
Founded by music managers Ken Westy and Vivian Lees, the festival was sold entirely to US company C3 Presents in 2014 who confirmed the cancellation of the event in 2015.
Big Day Out included line-ups of bands and performers such as Pearl Jam, Snoop Dogg, The Killers, Powderfinger, Neil Young, Silverchair and Coldplay.
Soundwave – cancelled 2015
An annual music festival dedicated to hardcore, rock and punk music, Soundwave was a popular festival that gathered crowds in the tens of thousands, with headliners such as Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Blink-182, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails and Linkin Park.
Founded in Perth in 2004, the festival expanded to Sydney and Brisbane in 2007 before expanding further to Adelaide and Melbourne in 2008.
Created by AJ Madden, the music promoter announced in 2015 that the 2016 Soundwave festivals would be the last, before announcing the events would be not be going ahead at all in a December 2015 tweet.
“I am devastated to have to announced the cancellation of Soundwave 16 due to poor ticket sales,” said Madden in a tweet.
“I am very sorry. I tried my best.”
Following the demise of the heavy metal festival, Madden reportedly owed more than $10m to the acts, including $1.6m to American band Slipknot who claimed many bands were “d***ed over” by the event’s mismanagement over the years.
Future Music Festival – cancelled 2015
Welcoming crowds of up to 50,000, Future Music Festival was a national event touring to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane which was cancelled in 2015 due to declining ticket sales.
Founded in 2006, the one-day independent music festival announced that its 2015 event would be its last, stating in a Facebook post that ‘travelling the festival in its current form across Australia simply doesn’t make financial sense anymore’.
Among it’s all-star line-ups over the years, Future Music Festival’s stage acts have included The Chemical Brothers, David Guetta, Fatboy Slim, Timmy Trumpet, Pharrell Williams, Drake, Macklemore, Rita Ora and Skrillex.
Beerfestabull – cancelled 2013
Founded by Clint Jensen in 2011, Bundaberg’s Beerfestabull was advertised as ‘Australia’s biggest Beerfest and professional bull riding event’ with 80 different types of beer, bull riding and amusement rides.
The event was originally at Innes Park Country Club before moving to the old Bundaberg Showgrounds in 2012 after the success of the inaugural event a year prior which saw more than 10,000 attendees each year.
However, after the second event in October 2013, event suppliers claimed they had not been paid by the festival organisers, with Clint Jensen allegedly owing musicians, labour hire, companies and contractors upwards of $50,000.
In January 2014, NewsMail confirmed Mr Jensen had sent an email to Brisbane-based entertainment agency The Gig Factory that the festival ran at a loss and it was a ‘debacle’ he was trying to solve.
There has not been a Beerfestabull since 2013 and there has been no indication of plans for a future event.
Good Vibrations – cancelled 2012
An annual festival with headliners such as The Killers, Snoop Dogg, Beastie Boys, Kanye West and Calvin Harris, Good Vibrations festival was scrapped in 2012 after increasing artist fees and high competition.
Former owner of Good Vibrations and current Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes announced the 2012 Good Vibrations would not go ahead and that ‘we will be in touch in due course regarding plans for 2013’.
The last Good Vibrations festival played in 2011 and played in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
Rumba – cancelled 2002
With a line-up of P!nk, Bon Jovi, Bachelor Girl and Natalie Imbruglia, Rumba was a festival that played in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne before being cancelled in 2002.
The annual pop festival was cancelled due to low ticket sales, with Brisbane’s 2002 event selling only 12,000 tickets, less than half its initial expectation for audience numbers.
Originally published as Big Day Out, Groovin The Moo: A throwback to Qld’s favourite lost festivals
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