Tickets only went on sale a few weeks ago but today organisers have cancelled this Splendour in the Grass music festival at Byron Bay.

The festival was to be held on July 19, 20 and 21 with Kylie Minogue, Tones and I, G Flip, Turnstile and Arcade Fire some of the many artists booked in for the annual event.

The Splendour website said:

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2024

With a heavy heart, we’re announcing the cancellation of Splendour in the Grass 2024, originally scheduled from Friday 19 July to Sunday 21 July in Ngarindjin / North Byron Parklands. We know there were many fans excited for this year’s line-up and all the great artists planning to join us, but due to unexpected events, we’ll be taking the year off. Ticket holders will be refunded automatically by Moshtix. We thank you for your understanding and will be working hard to be back in future years.

QUOTE FROM JESSICA DUCROU & PAUL PITICCO, CO-CEOs SECRET SOUNDS

“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.”

If you have purchased tickets for Splendour in the Grass 2024, you don’t need to do anything – your ticket(s) will be automatically refunded back to your credit card/PayPal account and Moshtix will let you know when this has been done.

Refunds will be processed within the next 5-10 business days.

If your card details have changed, please wait for Moshtix to contact you directly regarding this.

Splendour isn't the first festival to be cancelled in 2024. The list includes Groovin' the Moo, Falls Festival, ValleyWays, Coastal Jam and Vintage Vibes and the pausing of Hobart's iconic Dark Mofo.

Dr Sam Whiting, Lecturer in Creative Industries at the University of South Australia has written an article entitled 'Why are so many Australian festivals being cancelled?' said, “Even Australia’s queen of pop, Kylie Minogue, could not rescue Australia’s festival sector from ongoing woes. The wages, housing and cost-of-living crises are hitting young people hardest, so it is unsurprising that they are cutting back on expenses such as festival tickets.

"Further, following several years of disruption and supply-chain issues, festival promoters are cash-strapped and reliant on cash-flow from early ticket sales to secure events and maintain confidence. Without high demand for tickets from the outset, promoters are not going to shoulder the additional risk of running these events below capacity.

"Additionally, streaming and other changes to music consumption habits have changed the way young people engage with music. A multi-stage, multi-genre festival is not as appealing as an immersive experience focused on one genre or a closely curated group of acts. While genre-specific festivals and smaller, boutique festivals continue to do well, the ‘something-for-everyone’ models of Splendour, Groovin’ the Moo, and previously Big Day Out are losing their popularity.

"A lineup as eclectic as Splendour’s recent announcement unfortunately no longer provokes the same level of demand it once did, as young people and audiences no longer access new music via radio or other mainstream media outlets or broadcasters, usually catering to a broad and diverse audience. Tastes are at once both more mainstream and more niche, flattening out middle-ground audiences and pushing them to each end of the cultural consumption spectrum.

"Beyond changing audience behaviours, the Australian events and festival sectors have been impacted by increasingly severe weather events (exacerbated by climate change), the tyranny of distance for international acts (and huge costs associated with travel), skyrocketing public liability insurance (which is affecting small venues and major festivals alike), and a depreciating Australian dollar that can’t compete with American and European markets. All of which is producing a serious crisis not only for festivals but for the live music sector at large.”

NSW Minister for Music, John Graham said, “The cancellation of Splendour in the Grass is devastating news.

“The festival industry is under extreme pressure, and I am deeply worried about the health of the festival scene here in NSW.

“The NSW Government offered financial support to help the event proceed this year. We will continue to work with them and hope to see them return next year.”