The Australian music festival scene has only been going downhill since the past year and it seems like it just cannot catch a break.
Australian festivals were riddled with issues in 2015 such as multiple deaths and even more arrests due to drug violations at festivals like Stereosonic, Field Day, Falls Festival and others . This prompted NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant to issue a warning to festival organizers to straighten out their act saying “Enough is enough.” Though the government has promised to work with organizers to make the festivals safer, they refuse to introduce pill testing because at the end of the day it is an illegal substance and should not be consumed no matter how safe. If festivals don’t take steps to improve safety they could be forced to shut down. The Soundwave Festival was the next to be affected as it was suddenly cancelled with owner AJ Maddah citing poor ticket sales and is now left amidst a whopping debt of over $25 Million and no signs of any refunds.
(Image Courtesy : edmsauce.com)
The jinx has carried on to the new year as new dance festival Holi Play (inspired from the traditional Hindu festival Holi) shut its doors before they even opened. Their announced lineup featured headlining acts like Steve Angello and Afrojack but rumours got around that they were a scam as the dates coincided with days when the headliners were scheduled to play at other venues. This time the CEO George Amaral blamed everything from internet haters, low ticket sales and the Australian government for the failure of the festival. Even Mother Nature is in no way helping the scene with a bushfire epidemic forcing the ongoing Southbound festival to pack up. Refunds were announced but several festival goers have shown a desire to help those affected by the fires by donating the full or partial ticket amount. The management is currently working on a system to facilitate this and also donating excess food meant for the festival.
(Image Courtesy : inthemix.com)
What do you think of the future of Australian Music Festivals? Will they bounce back or slip into oblivion? Let us know!