Australia's Splendor in the Grass 2024 festival is cancelled

The 2024 edition of Splendor in the Grass will not go ahead.

“It is with heavy hearts,” read a statement from the organizers, issued late on Wednesday (March 27), “that we are announcing the cancellation of Splendor in the Grass 2024, originally scheduled for Friday July 19 to Sunday July 21 at Ngarindjin / North Byron Parks.”

The surprise announcement comes less than a week after tickets for the three-day camping fest went on sale to the general public.

As previously mentioned, Splendor had booked a healthy lineup with Kylie Minogue, Future and Arcade Fire as headliners. Also on the bill for the now-defunct 2024 edition were Girl In Red, Yeat, Turnstile, G Flip, The Last Dinner Party, Tash Sultana, Fontaines DC and more.

“We know there were a lot of fans excited about this year's line-up and all the great artists who were planning to join us, but due to unexpected events we will be putting the year on hold,” the statement continued.

Established in 2001 and held annually in Byron Bay, a picturesque beach town on the easternmost tip of Australia, Splendor is a destination event and the most popular mid-winter camping festival in these parts.

Splendour, once the hottest ticket on the festival calendar, has had a particularly rough ride, first with the pandemic, which saw it announced and then shelved several times during the pandemic. Then in 2022, extreme weather conditions ruined the first day of Splendor 2022, contributing to softer than usual ticket sales for the 2023 edition.

“We are saddened to lose a year, especially after more than two decades of operation,” said a joint statement from Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, co-CEOs of Secret Sounds and founders of Splendour. “This festival has always been a huge community effort and we would like to thank everyone for their support and overall loyalty. We hope to return in the future.”

tickets for Splendor 2024 went on sale from Thursday March 21 via moshtix.com.auwith the SITG membership pre-sale opening on March 14. One-day tickets were priced at A$179 (plus fees), three-day tickets are $399 (plus fees), camping tickets are $159 (plus fees) and the premium “VIP Village VIP” three-day ticket it's A$599 (plus fees).

Ticket holders will be automatically refunded.

Despite the setback, Splendor will return, according to Secret Sounds, a subsidiary of Live Nation, which produces the annual event. “We thank you for your understanding,” the statement read, “and we will work hard to return in the coming years.”