Shock as Souled Out R & B music festival for Melb, Sydney, Brisbane cancelled

The Souled Out R & B music festival has been cancelled, with organisers saying the event “did not reach the level of support needed”. But they had earlier boasted one of the shows had sold out. What happened?

The Souled Out R & B festival planned for Melbourne this month has been cancelled. Picture: Instagram

A music festival has been abruptly canned, with the Melbourne Souled Out R & B event planned for February 22 abruptly cancelled a little more than a week out from the show.

In an Instagram post on Thursday afternoon, the festival organisers said it was “with a heavy heart” the event set to be held at Caribbean Gardens in little over a week, and other shows planned for Sydney and Brisbane, would not go ahead.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision,” they said, adding the event did “not reach the level of support needed to remain financially viable”.

“Like many festivals in Australia we have faced ongoing challenges in the current market,” the promoters said.

“After exploring every possible option, we’ve had to make the tough call to cancel this year’s edition … All ticketholders will receive automatic refunds via Oztix.”

Picture: Instagram

But organisers had earlier boasted online that the Brisbane show had sold out.

The three headline acts for the concert — billed as “Australia’s biggest modern R & B festival” — were Don Toliver, Jhene Aiko and Vince Staples.

The cancellation follows news earlier this month Souled Out Pty Ltd — a company based on the Gold Coast but with close links to Victoria — was facing the prospect of being wound up by a creditor if given the green light by a Queensland court.

Souled Out was named as the respondent to an application filed in the Supreme Court in Brisbane by EventCo Group Pty Ltd.

The Instagram post from Souled Out on Thursday. Picture: Instagram

Picture: Instagram

EventCo Group Pty Ltd (EventCo) filed the application in court on January 9, court records reveal.

It was the second time the two companies had fought in court.

On October 16 last year Souled Out Pty Ltd filed an application to set aside a statutory demand issued by EventCo.

A month later the deputy registrar of the Supreme Court dismissed the application by consent of both parties.

EventCo is owned by New Zealand-born Georgina Terry, 48, from Main Beach and Darren Benjamin Bell, 47, also from Main Beach.

Mr Bell describes himself on LinkedIn as managing director of EventCo and Ms Terry says she is a director on the same site.

EventCo state on its website that it has more than 25 years experience delivering events across a range of industries.

Souled Out Pty Ltd is jointly owned by NT-born Alexander Ross McDonell, 36, from Docklands in Melbourne; with co-founder artist agent Emmal Naim from Werribee South in Victoria; and Michael and Vedrana Zarafa, 39, from Sovereign Islands; and Kaitlyn Rose Porter, 33, from Pakenham in Victoria who is married to Dominic Porter, the founder of successful out-of-home care services company All Care Australia.

The Zarafas are also part owners of All Care Australia.

Picture: Instagram.

McDonell is a music promoter, booking agent and venue owner, and the co-owner of

trendy Melbourne CBD nightclub Ms Collins, he says on LinkedIn.

He is also a co-owner of music venue District 14 in Narre Warren.

Billed as “Australia’s biggest modern R & B festival”, the event was set to feature headliners Don Toliver, Jhene Aiko and Vince Staples, with a host of support acts and DJs.

The festival was set to be held in Melbourne on February 22, Sydney on February 23 and in Brisbane on February 28.

Originally published as Shock as Souled Out R & B music festival for Melb, Sydney, Brisbane cancelled