During today’s NSW music inquiry, Secret Sounds co-CEO Jessica Ducrou discussed plans to expand Splendour In The Grass Festival for 2019. The promoter said Secret Sounds has hopes to expand the event to a four day festival with more stages, and more tickets available.
The inquiry is focussing on live music in New South Wales, and featured discussions with executives from Spotify, KLP, The Rubens, and many more people involved in the NSW music industry. During her speaking time, Ducrou discussed the issues Secret Sounds are facing with their planned expansions.
“We’re concerned with how slow the Department [Of Planning] are moving, and I guess I’m seeking some kind of support into trying to put pressure on the Department to process this application before the year is out,” Ducrou told those at the inquiry.
She also outlined the plans Spendour has for expansion, saying “If we don’t get approval this year, we can’t add the stages, add an extra day to the program — which is what we’d like to do”. The festival has been located at North Byron Parklands for the past few years, and has invested over $30 million into new infrastructure on the site.
Secret Sounds are still waiting for the government to allow the festival to make the Parklands it’s permanent home, so they can continue to invest in the land, and begin their planned $42 million refurbishment of the area.
Related: Splendour venue makes final bid to become festival’s permanent home
If the plans are allowed to go ahead, it will allow Splendour In The Grass to host up to 50,000 people each year, nearly 20,000 more than the current 32,000 limit they have. It will also allow the festival to add more stages and acts to the bill.
Ducrou also raised concerns about the future of Splendour In The Grass if the festival was not able to remain at North Byron Parklands, telling those in attendance “I’m really not sure what we’d do. That’s the point I guess the festival would cease to exist,”.
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MusicFeeds has pointed out however, that many people do have concerns for the surrounding environment of the area if it was to become the permanent home of the festival. This years Splendour In The Grass took place at North Byron Parklands in July and was headlined by Lorde, Vampire Weekend, and Kendrick Lamar.
Watch: Triple J’s Splendour 2018 highlights
