Splendour in the Grass has been cancelled — due to “unexpected events” — just days after tickets to the annual musical festival went on sale.
The three-day festival — which was to be headlined by Kylie Minogue — won’t run in 2024, according to festival partner Triple J.
Splendour was meant to begin on July 19 at North Byron Parklands in NSW, and feature Minogue as well as Future and Arcade Fire as headline acts.
Newsletters: Breaking news as it happens. Subscribe now 
G Flip, Hayden James, Tash Sultana, Royal Otis and Angie McMahon were also slated to play.
It’s the third time since Splendour’s inception in 2001 that the festival has been cancelled.
The event, which in the past has attracted crowds of up to 50,000 people each day, was put off in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19.
Tickets for this year’s festival only went on sale six days ago.
Those with tickets will be refunded automatically by Moshtix.
Splendour organisers confirmed the news through social media on Wednesday afternoon, saying the festival was “taking the year off” and would “work hard” to return.
“With a heavy heart, we’re announcing the cancellation of Splendour in the Grass 2024,” festival organisers said.
“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.
“We thank you for your understanding and will be working hard to be back in future years.”
Splendour in the Grass was established 23 years ago by concert organising company Secret Sounds, and is now run by multiple parties.
Secret Sounds co-CEOs Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco say they are “heartbroken to be missing a year” after two decades of Splendour.
“This festival has always been a huge community effort, and we’d like to thank everyone for their support and overall faith,” they said.
“We hope to be back in the future.”
Festival-goers have expressed shocked at the news, saying it was “a sad day for the Australian music festival scene”.
“Terrible news,” one person said.
“Our music and entertainment industry will be dead in five years if we don’t do something now!! This is awful news,” another wrote.
Others said the cancellation wasn’t surprising given what many thought was a disappointing line-up.
“The lineup left something to be desired,” one person said.
Several artists including Illy, Alison Wonderland and The Dreggs also expressed shock at the news.
“What is happening?” Alison Wonderland said.
Kylie Minogue had previously said she was excited to come back home.
“I can’t wait to join this amazing line up in North Byron Park for Splendour In The Grass 2024,” she said.
Splendour is the latest festival to be cancelled in 2024, with Groovin The Moo having pulled the pin in February.
Organisers of that event —which was to take place in locations in multiple states across April and May — cited poor ticket sales for the cancellation.
Stream free on
