The recent spiralling in weather has led to a record breaking amount of festival cancellations and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
This year’s Splendour in the Grass was famously ridiculed for the weather that dubbed the festival Splendour in the Mud. However jokes aside, there were massive ramifications for the event. After capacity already being significantly reduced to abide by pandemic restrictions, the first day was cancelled and queues were over twelve hours log
Strawberry fields, which was set to take place in late October in Southern NSW is just another in a long line of festivals that have had to cancel out of fear they would be washed out.
“While the idea of throwing the first music festival exclusively by house boat, tinny, personal snorkelling or floatation device was somewhat tempting,” said the organisers in a statement. “ We decided Australia probably isn’t quite ready for the concept just yet.”
Love Live Music?
Get the latest Live Music news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
“Oh the joys of the past three years. First there were bushfires, then a pandemic, and now La Nina seems to be that unwelcome guest left at the house party that we just can’t kick off the couch.”
View this post on Instagram
Other events that were cancelled this year are Sunset Sounds, Jungle Love, Yours and Owls, Wine Machine, Flow Festival, Festival of the Sun and This That Festival.
This That, which was scheduled for October, faced similar issues.
“This is due to a combination of issues,” reads their statement. “Including the current level of market saturation resulting in supply chain issues and labour shortages, different economic conditions including ballooning insurance premiums and infrastructure costs, and the forecast of ongoing weather patterns. So many factors that have the potential to lessen the experience we want to always deliver.”
Insurance is becoming an increasingly expensive issue for event holders with premiums spiking at an unprecedented level. With the climate as unpredictable as it is, it’s feared that some areas will become uninsurable and festival cancellations will indefintely continue.
