Sydney Festival's Inaugural Summerground Music Festival in Tumbalong Park Has Been Cancelled

Along with opera on a lightship, Courtney Barnett, a giant octopus and plenty more, Sydney Festival announced a brand-new music festival as part of its 2024 program. But that event, called Summerground, will no longer go ahead, with organisers advising that the fest within the broader fest has been cancelled.

"Changing consumer behaviours, cost of living pressures and mounting operational expenses are having an impact on many large music festivals nationwide and unfortunately, Summerground was not immune from these factors," said the Sydney Festival team in a statement.

King Stingray

"We remain fully committed to the spirit of live music and are proud to present a wide range of other music offerings in the 2024 program that showcase the diverse talent our music scene offers," organisers continued.

"The rest of Sydney Festival's program has not been affected with more than 130 events locked in for the January celebration."

Electric Fields, by Morgan Sette

Summerground ticketholders will receive a full refund, with Sydney Festival also thanking "Summerground artists for their understanding".

Announced as one of Sydney Festival 2024's headline events, Summerground was set to run for three days from Friday, January 5–Sunday, January 7 at Tumbalong Park, boasting a lineup that included King Stingray, Electric Fields, Cimafunk, Queen Omega, The Brand New Heavies, Dem Mob, Beckah Amani, The Teskey Brothers, Full Flower Moon Band and more. Hopping between genres was promoted as a big feature, spanning everything from alt pop and R&B to soul and reggae, all across the first weekend of the overall festival.

The Teskey Brothers, by Nick Mckinlay

Summerground will no longer take place from Friday, January 5–Sunday, January 7 at Tumbalong Park.

Sydney Festival 2024 runs from Friday, January 5–Sunday, January 28 at venues across the city. For further details and to buy tickets, visit the Sydney Festival website.

Top image: Darren Chan.