The organisers of national touring festival LookOut have blamed “circumstances beyond our control” for cancelling two stops on their run.
The festival – which features a lineup that boasts the likes of Jet, Grinspoon, The Veronicas and Spiderbait among others – had initially launched 2025 dates in Sandstone Point, Southport, Adelaide, Lake Macquarie, Wollongong, Hillarys, Torquay and Mornington starting next week.
However, punters were notified via email that the Southport and Wollongong dates would not be going ahead.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, and in light of the extraordinary increases in infrastructure costs in some regions, we have no option other than to cancel two of the LookOut performances,” the statement reads.
“It has therefore been mutually agreed among the artists, their representatives and Face to Face Touring that we will reduce the number of shows from 8 to 6. The Southport Qld (Sun Feb 23) and Wollongong NSW (Sun Mar 9) shows will not be going ahead.
“All other shows will go ahead as planned.”
The festival has said that all ticket holders for the Southport and Wollongong dates will receive a full refund.
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The news comes after another Australian festival, Souled Out, cancelled its entire 2025 run ahead of the first date scheduled for February 22nd on Thursday.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, and we share in your disappointment,” the festival said in a statement.
“Despite our best efforts, the event did not reach the level of support needed to remain financially viable. Like many festivals in Australia, we have faced ongoing challenges in the current market. After exploring every possible option, we’ve had to make the tough call to cancel this year’s edition of Souled Out.”
Souled Out is the latest festival to confirm it will not go ahead in 2025, following the cancellations of Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo in recent weeks.
In some positive news for the local festival scene, however, Chris O’Brien from Good Things Festival and head promoter at Destroy All Lines said he “guarantees” the punk, rock and metal event will return later in the year.
“Programming festivals is incredibly difficult as so many of our costs have sky rocketed over the past two to three years,” he told Rolling Stone AU/NZ last week.
“The flow on effect is that the artists cost has also exploded and it makes it harder for them to come to Australia, so we have to pay more money to get them here. In the same breath we have to be conscience of our ticket prices, but our market has proved that if we keep delivering a quality lineup and a great day out, they will continue to support Good Things.
