Groovin the Moo Has Cancelled All of Its 2024 Dates, Citing Insufficient Ticket Sales
Big sad news from the beloved touring music festival, which was set to return in April with a lineup featuring GZA, Melanie C, The Kooks and Jet.
Just two weeks after announcing its 2024 lineup, long-running regional music festival Groovin the Moo has been forced to cancel all six of its dates. The beloved touring festival was set to hit Adelaide, Canberra, Bendigo, the Sunshine Coast, Bunbury and, for the first time, Newcastle throughout the end of April and beginning of May, but has now been forced to pull the plug on the national tour, citing poor ticket sales for the cancellation.
"We are extremely disappointed to announce that the Groovin the Moo 2024 tour has been forced to cancel," reads the statement released by the festival. "Ticket sales have not been sufficient to deliver a regional festival of this kind."
"All tickets will be refunded automatically. Thank you to everybody who has supported the festival. We hope to be able to bring Groovin the Moo back to regional communities in the future."
This year's edition was set to feature Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, The Kooks, The Beaches and Alison Wonderland. Stephen Sanchez, Armani White, Kenya Grace, King Stingray, DMA's, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat and San Cisco were all also set to appear on the bill, alongside Hot Dub Time Machine, Mura Masa, Claire Rosinkranz, Jessie Reyez, Meduza and The Rions — and more.
2024 was set also to be the first year when the festival moved from its longstanding NSW home in Maitland, with plans to move the festivities to Foreshore Park in Newcastle.
It comes during a tough time for music festivals in Australia. Late last year, Sydney Festival was forced to pull the plug on the inaugural edition of its Summergrounds Music Festival, citing "changing consumer behaviors, cost of living pressures and mounting operational expenses". And, fellow regional favourite This That hasn't been able to go ahead with its annual events for the last two years.
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Groovin the Moo won't be happening in 2024. You can read the festival's statment via Instagram.
Images: Jordan Munns