Following a week of intensive lobbying and bidding by cities as diverse as Tweed Heads, Cairns, Mackay, and Townsville; the Big Day Out have secured a last minute deal with the Queensland government that will see the festival stay on the Gold Coast for at least another five years.
The future of the festival had been in doubt after Big Day Out CEO Adam Zammit declared that the Gold Coast leg of the Big Day Out was as good as gone after being evicted by the Queensland State Government, who are transforming the festival’s regular site at the Parklands showground into an athletes’ village for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
But the Queensland government have now announced that Zammit and the team behind one of Australia’s most iconic festivals have accepted an offer to help relocate the event post-2013 to another Gold Coast venue, ensuring its future for the next half-decade.
“This agreement lays to rest any speculation about the future of the Big Day Out not remaining on the Gold Coast,” Queensland tourism minister Jann Stuckey told The Australian. “The Big Day Out is a major event for the Gold Coast, attracting visitors from throughout Queensland and interstate and I am very pleased to see it stay on the Gold Coast.”
“We hope to secure and announce a new location on the Gold Coast very soon,” added Zammit, who said he was relieved a resolution had been reached to keep the festival in the Gold Coast where it has been held for nearly 20 years.
According to Minister Stuckey, more than 45,000 people are expected to attend this year’s festival on January 20; which made it an attractive asset for other regional centres looking for a high profile event of this nature to boost their own local tourism.“The Big Day Out is a major event for the Gold Coast, attracting visitors from throughout Queensland and interstate and I am very pleased to see it stay on the Gold Coast.” – Jann Stuckey, QLD Tourism Minister
Earlier in the week Cairns Mayor Bob Manning said they had contacted event organisers about their interest, while Mayor of Townsville Jenny Hill had been in consultation with the Big Day Out about relocating. Even promoters of the Woodford Folk Festival had been in discussions about using their 365 acre Woodfordia site to host the one-day event.
Council at Tweed Heads may be most disappointed at the new Gold Coast brokered deal, recently throwing their hat in the ring as a contender, with Councillor Warren Polglase telling the Daily News, “we’ll work our backsides off to get it.”
“The Queensland Government pinches things off us, why shouldn’t we pinch something off them?” he continued, adding that Tweed Heads “have a lot to offer” while also benefiting from the exposure and increased tourism from the Big Day Out.
Regardless of their imminent disappointment, it’s a boon for the one-day touring festival and the feeding frenzy of possible relocations for the Big Day Out perhaps helped them realise the value of keeping the event on the Gold Coast.
Something that Perth’s Town of Claremont could learn from, given that their long-running feud with live music events in the area led to Environment Minister Bill Marmion’s decision that the Perth Big Day Out’s strict 10pm curfew would remain unchanged, as well as keeping strict noise level monitoring occurring throughout the day.
Mr Marmion said that the final decision was reached after consultation between the Department of Environment and Conservation and Town of Claremont and City of Nedlands. Approving “a balanced set of conditions that allow the event to proceed, but provide for an earlier closing time to reduce the impact on the residents of the Town of Claremont.”
In related Big Day Out news, with the music festival just a week away, this morning organisers announced that the VIP Like A Boss tickets had sold out, alongside revealing the full menu for Chow Town and launching the free mobile app, all helping promote the revamped event’s unique features – like a Mexican Wrestling bar, the return of the Lilypad, a fully automated robotic band, and unique Australian acts added to the lineup in each capital city.
Big Day Out 2013 Lineup
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (Exclusive Australian Shows) / THE KILLERS / YEAH YEAH YEAHS / VAMPIRE WEEKEND / BAND OF HORSES / THE BLOODY BEETROOTS (LIVE) / KASKADE / ANIMAL COLLECTIVE / B.o.B / SLEIGH BELLS / FOALS / ALABAMA SHAKES / 360 / CRYSTAL CASTLES / PRETTY LIGHTS / OFF! / GRINSPOON / AGAINST ME! / GARY CLARK JR / NICKY ROMERO / MORGAN PAGE / LOGO / EVERY TIME I DIE / DELTA SPIRIT / CHILDISH GAMBINO / ME / HUNTING GROUNDS / JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD / DEATH GRIPS / ADVENTURE CLUB / JAGWAR MA / HOUSE VS HURRICANE / AVALANCHE CITY / TOUCAN / HELENA / NINA LAS VEGAS / SAMPOLOGY (AV / DJ SHOW)
Big Day Out 2013 Sydney Lineup Announcement
The Medics * Something With Numbers * Urthboy * Thy Art Is Murder * Deep Sea Arcade * Royal Headache * Bob Log III * Chance Waters * Good Heavens * Stereogamous * The Griswolds * Fishing * The Gooch Palms * Donny Benet * triple j unearthed winners: Jackie Onassis
Big Day Out 2013 Gold Coast Lineup Announcement
The Medics * Dead Letter Circus * I Heart Hiroshima * Paul Mac * The Cairos * Bob Log III * Hey Geronimo * We All Want To * Evil Eddie * Skinwalkers * Dave’s Pawn Shop * Lily Rouge * The Vernons * Sneeky Picnic * triple j unearthed winners: Jakarta Criers
Big Day Out 2013 Adelaide Lineup Announcement
The Medics * The Beards * Paul Mac * Grey Ghost * The Killgirls * Full Tote Odds * Messrs * Allday * Lady Strangelove * Steering By Stars * Sincerely, Grizzly * Stab Capital * Gemini Downs * Archers * Dr Piffle & The Burlap Band * triple j unearthed winners: The Aves
Big Day Out 2013 Melbourne Lineup Announcement
The Medics * Bodyjar * Seth Sentry * Chicks On Speed DJ Show * Bob Log III * The Smith Street Band * Kingswood * Yung Warriors * Money For Rope * Jackson Firebird * Split Seconds * For Our Hero * Generik * Zanzibar Chanel * The Stiffys * triple j unearthed winners: Apes
Big Day Out 2013 Perth Lineup Announcement
The Medics * Sugar Army * Chicks On Speed DJ Show * Emperors * The Chemist * Sons of Rico * Further Earth * Arts Martial * Rainy Day Women * Boys Boys Boys! * The Love Junkies * Skank MC * Dead Owls * Tomàs Ford * triple j unearthed winners: Foam
Big Day Out 2013 Event Dates
Friday 18th January – Sydney Showgrounds – SOLD OUT!
Sunday 20th January – Gold Coast Parklands
Friday 25th January – Adelaide Showgrounds
Saturday 26th January – Melbourne Flemington Racecourse
Monday 28 January – Perth Claremont Showground
Big Day Out 2013 tickets are on sale through www.bigdayout.com at the all-inclusive price of $165
