DO you remember a time when the Sydney Big Day Out was the pinnacle of every Novocastrian music lover's summer? Login or signup to continue reading Despite the crowds, the sweat, the sun burn, the over-priced drinks, you had to be there. It's where you saw Rage Against The Machine, Hole, Beastie Boys, Metallica, The Strokes and countless other amazing acts. Or maybe you and your mates would annually enter the ballot for the increasingly popular Splendour In The Grass in the hope that one of your crew could secure tickets for that winter party weekend in Byron Bay.
Closer to home, Maitland's Groovin' The Moo and Newcastle's This That festivals became a rite of passage for any Hunter youngster interested in experiencing the thrill of live music. As of 2024 none of the aforementioned music festivals exist. Groovin' The Moo and Splendour In The Grass have at least publicly stated an intention to return in 2025, but you'd get shorter odds on the Newcastle Knights qualifying the NRL semi-finals.
Wednesday's announcement that Byron Bay Bluesfest director Peter Noble had decided to end the festival next Easter after 35 years provided further proof that the era of the major music festival was over, or at least, for the foreseeable future. There's a wide variety of reasons why major music festivals are failing in Australia. Production and insurance costs have sky-rocketed post-COVID and ticket-buyers, especially younger ones, have become more discernible with their disposable income as.