2024-03-27
Reports that massively popular Byron music festival Splendour in the Grass has been cancelled just weeks after tickets went on sale is a dire warning that unless the industry is offered urgent support, music festivals may be dead in NSW within a few years, says Greens MP and music spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.
“The cancellation of yet another music festival in NSW is a devastating blow to the music industry. Unless support is immediately offered, it’s hard to see how music festivals will still be around in a few years time,” said Greens MP and music spokesperson Cate Faehrmann.
“As someone who has been to more music festivals than I can remember, I understand how they provide such a pivotal experience to many young people’s lives so I know many will be distressed by this news. It’s also a sad day for everyone who works in the Australian music industry.
“Many festivals that have been Australian owned and operated for years have recently been sold to international operators as a result of spiralling costs and an extremely burdensome regulatory environment, Splendour in the Grass being one of them.
“Insurance cost blowouts as a result of more extreme weather along with exorbitant user-pays police charges here in NSW gives festival operators little choice but to raise ticket prices.
“The price of tickets are just too high for many young people in this cost-of-living crisis.
“Over the last few years the live music industry in NSW has been dealt blow after blow. The fact that one of Australia’s biggest music festivals is unable to sustain itself any longer should be a massive warning to the NSW Government that without urgent intervention, live music as we know and love it will never recover,” said Ms Faehrmann.