Overview
No one spent a winter weekend dancing in a North Byron Bay Parklands field at Splendour in the Grass in 2024. No one will do that in 2025, either. After 2024's festival was cancelled just weeks after unveiling its Kylie Minogue-, Future- and Arcade Fire-led lineup, the Splendour crew has advised that there'll also be no fest this year.
"Hey gang, sorry it's been so quiet, but we had a little holiday ... finally. The rest of the festival team have still been busy cooking up some awesome new things for music lovers in Australia, but Splendour needs a little more time to recharge and we won't be back this year," said organisers in a statement on social media.
"Think of it as a breather so we can come back even bigger and better when the time is right. Lots of other huge events on the horizon so keep an ear to the ground in the coming months — we can't wait to share what we've been working on!"
Notably, the statement about 2025's event doesn't confirm that the festival will return in 2026, but rather says that it'll be back "when the time is right". For now, put those glittery gumboots away for at least this year, in what proves another heartbreaking piece of news for Australia's live music industry.
When Splendour scrapped its 2024 plans, it did so after revealing its roster of acts, and also followed on from a heap of other cancellations across the Aussie festival scene. Groovin the Moo ditched its 2024 events just a fortnight after announcing its lineup. Also, Falls Festival took summer 2023–24 off, Summergrounds Music Festival at Sydney Festival was cancelled and This That hasn't gone ahead for a couple of years. Since Splendour cancelled, Yours and Owls ditched its 2024 fest, as did Spilt Milk and Adelaide's Harvest Rock. Dark Mofo took a breather, too, while Mona Foma called time forever after its 2024 event.
Bluesfest also revealed that it would say farewell after its 2025 fest, but it has been reported that that might no longer be the case.
"With a heavy heart, we're announcing the cancellation of Splendour in the Grass 2024," said the Splendour team in a statement last year.
"We know there were many fans excited for this year's lineup and all the great artists planning to join us, but due to unexpected events we'll be taking the year off. Ticketholders will be refunded automatically by Moshtix. We thank you for your understanding and will be working hard to be back in future years."
"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," added Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, co-CEOs of Secret Sounds.
2024's event would've marked the festival's 22nd birthday — and its third COVID-19-era fest, following the supremely muddy 2022 iteration (which was delayed for the two years due to the pandemic's early days) and 2023's go-around.
Splendour in the Grass won't take place in 2025. For more information, head to the festival website.
Images: Charlie Hardy, Bianca Holderness and Claudia Ciapocha.