As Tone Deaf reported yesterday, the inaugural Legion Music Festival, a proposed replacement for the cancelled Soundwave 2016, has itself been cancelled and will instead go ahead in 2017 with revised dates.
After teasing fans with news of a forthcoming announcement, the festival’s 2016 cancellation quickly leaked, with organisers claiming in a statement that “it’s in everyone’s best interest that we do this in a way that’s as sustainable as possible”.
Organiser John Sankey cited several reasons for Legion’s shift to 2017, including the short time frame that organisers gave themselves to secure enticing headliners, venues, and the correct visas for any potential lineup acts.
Sankey also cited issues with obtaining council permits in time and the issues posed as a result of holding the festival on the Easter long weekend, when many music fans would have family commitments and when travel costs spike.
Sankey also said that the festival’s ambitious March-April 2016 dates had been announced in haste as a response to the “the disappointment so many hard music fans faced” once news broke that Soundwave 2016 would not be happening.
Soundwave founder AJ Maddah has since responded to the cancellation of Legion.
@robkaay Harder than it looks this festival caper.
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) January 18, 2016
Taking to his hyperactive Twitter channel, the promoter expressed a tongue-in-cheek sentiment at Legion’s postponement, writing, “Harder than it looks this festival caper.”
The collapse of Maddah’s flagship festival has left a considerable gap in the Australian festival market and, as Tone Deaf recently noted, could even impact the way the Australian events industry is governed.
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Innovation and Better Regulation Minister Victor Dominello recently told The Weekend Australian that corporate governance and the behaviour of the companies involved in events has been below par and a new standard for the local events industry ought to be enacted.
Meanwhile, Legion Festival’s Pozible crowdfunding campaign is set to be re-launched with an additional 60 days to provide adequate time to announce the full lineup and implement additional marketing to ensure that the event’s $3 million goal is reached.
All existing supporters will be recognised, with organisers arranging extensive additional benefits to reflect their support. Those who wish to opt out and relinquish their founding benefits will be able to do so.
Legion Music Festival 2017
Saturday, 21st January 2017
Perth
Sunday, 22nd January 2017
Adelaide
Thursday, 26th January 2017
Melbourne
Saturday, 28th January 2017
Sydney
Sunday, 29th January 2017
Brisbane
