Another one gone…

On Friday we received the devastating news that another long-running Music Festival would not be going ahead in 2024. Sadly, the Central Coast’s Return to Rio will not be running this year leaving another gaping hole in the festival calendar. RTR joins a distinguished list of some of our biggest and brightest festivals including Splendour In The Grass, Groovin The Moo & Heaps Good, that have had to “take a break” or pull the pin entirely.

After a lot of thought, and with very heavy hearts we’re sad to announce Return to Rio 2024 won’t be going ahead.” — RETURN TO RIO ORGANISERS

While most of the big ones have expressed their desire to return in the future, one must ask a few questions. Firstly, will the break in the yearly momentum help to reignite support or put the final nail in an already shaky vessel? Secondly, will twelve months really make that much difference in the financial viability and affordability of putting on a festival in Australia? Thirdly, why are some states suffering more than others?

Our long-running festivals have built up their followings after years and for some decades. Blood, sweat and lots of money have gone into building the legion of attendees that enter the gates each year, with so many concerts now happening across the country, will there be a good time for our favourites to return? Will people swap a festival for a show or two? Will the “squad” continue to gather or splinter off into smaller cliques and go to more personally satisfying shows? The answer is probably Yes! Festival adventures will probably see an invigoration in the future but will that be in time to save our STIG’s and our GTM’s? Time will tell.

We’re heartbroken to be missing a year especially after more than two decades in operation. This festival has always been a huge community effort, and we’d like to thank everyone for their support and overall faith. We hope to be back in the future. — JESSICA DUCROU & PAUL PITICCO, CO-CEOS SECRET SOUNDS (SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS)

Inflation has to be our next response! Inflation has affected everything from how much money people have to spend on entertainment and going out to the petrol it costs to attend an event. Tickets to festivals are considered a luxury in our current cost-of-living crisis so can we expect that to change in 12 months? The answer logically has to be NO. This time last year we all looked forward to normality returning or at least an ease of the pressure in 2024 and that hasn’t happened, things have only gotten worse. Unless the federal and state governments step up to help in some way, either by helping us the ticket buyers or them the organisers, this issue will not be resolved enough for our major festivals to return in 2025

The community, connection, and sense of belonging people report after attending a festival is more important now than ever. And we believe we all have the right to enjoy festivals as the rest of the world manages to do safely without this heavy-handedness. But sadly, it’s becoming impossible to keep doing what we do here in NSW. So, we’re stepping out of the game this year, in the hope that this madness stops, and common sense prevails. - RTR Team

Return to Rio has cited the “costs the promoters have been burdened with since the introduction of the Festivals Act in NSW” as the main issue facing organisers with “Police and medical costs to meet the new requirements increased by 529%” alone. Since the introduction of the NSW Festival Act in 2019, almost every electronic music festival in NSW has been deemed ‘subject’ (or ‘high risk’) regardless of their track record and previous history, and while some have earned that tag it should not just be lumbered on to all festivals belonging to a particular genre. Due to the Festival Act the NSW Police and Health have full control over how much a festival pays for policing and medical, as well as any other extra costs they deem necessary for harm minimisation which can include riot squads, police boats, interrogation areas, strip search facilities, CCTV etc etc etc. With NSW Police charging nearly twelve times more than the Victorian Police, organisers in NSW need to add up to an extra $100 per ticket just to cover these costs. And here we have the answer to our third question. Some states are seeing more cancellations than others due to unfair genre targeting by some state governments.

Ticket sales have not been sufficient to deliver a regional festival of this kind. All tickets will be refunded automatically - Groovin The Moo Organisers

So what does this mean for the Australian Festival Industry? The future is bleak. Between Government regulations, Organisers’ costs and the skyrocketing price of food, housing and basic living to the punter, something has to give and soon. Very, very soon, or our once flourishing industry will be left as nothing but a distant memory filled full of the best times of our lives.

Festivals not going ahead in 2024…so far

  • Splendour In The Grass

  • Heaps Good

  • Groovin The Moo

  • Return To Rio

  • Vintage Vibes

  • Goulburn Valley Country Music Festival

  • Tent Pole

  • Valleyways

  • Meadow Music Festival

  • Coastal Jam

  • Fairbridge Festival

  • Don’t Let Daddy Know

  • Summersalt - Mornington

  • Now & Again

  • Sacred Temple Gathering

  • Mix Tape

  • Wildlands - Queensland

  • Molesworth Bluegrass & Country Music Festival

  • Caloundra Music Festival

Pieta Clarke