Secret Sounds Splashes Out With Spilt Milk Acquisition

Spilt Milk is now part of the Secret Sounds Group and Live Nation empire.

Announced today (July 21), the multi-city music festival changes hands with Secret Sounds’ acquisition of Kicks Entertainment, operators of Spilt Milk.

It’s unclear just how much Secret Sounds splashed out for Spilt Milk, a brand that has sold out within minutes for each edition since its 2016 debut and which today visits locations in three regions, Canberra, Ballarat and the Gold Coast.

Kicks Entertainment and its flagship fest boasts 15 years-plus under the guidance of co-owners Ryan Sabet and Jeff Drake.

The pair “successfully placed Kicks in a strong position ahead” of the 2022 summer with two sold-out festival tours – Spilt Milk and their Fisher Beach Party Tour, reads a statement from Secret Sounds announcing the majority stake acquisition.

More festival properties are said to be “in development.”

As “festival and music fans ourselves, it’s exciting for us to have new partners that share our vision for event experiences that are fan-focused,” Drake and Sabet comment in a statement.

“This partnership will evolve our conversations with artists and provide opportunities to activate venues and festivals that can house them. It will strengthen our ability to produce festival tours that deliver on our vision of ensuring quality over quantity.”

Teaming up with Secret Sounds and LN “is a natural step towards securing the future of new events and cementing those currently in the roster,” the pair continues, noting the pact represents a “boost for our loyal, local team. It brings new opportunities to enhance the already exceptional Kicks offerings and provides resources at an important time when fan experience is paramount.”

The announcement is made on the eve of Secret Sounds’ own flagship fest, the 50,000 capacity Splendour in the Grass, held once again in Byron Bay. 

With all parties working together, the opportunities are bigger and better, say Secret Sounds Co-CEOs Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco.

“We’ve admired Jeff and Ryan’s work for a long time, they are brilliant entrepreneurs and the next generation of Australian promoters,” note Ducrou and Piticco.

“We’ve been super impressed with the way they deliver their events and the consistent growth they’ve achieved with Spilt Milk, including the addition of a Gold Coast show which promptly sold out within days. We are very excited about this partnership and we’re looking forward to combining all of our skillsets and knowledge to support Spilt Milk’s further growth in the future.”

SITG returns as a full-blown camping fest after a turbulent two-year stretch of the during which time the pandemic forced organisers to postpone the show several times, and, in 2021, present a VR event.

This year’s show is a sell out. 

Secret Sounds came into the Live Nation fold in 2016 when the concerts giant acquired 51 percent of the business, which is active in touring, sponsorship, PR, artist management and domestic agency businesses, and operates the Falls Festival.

This new partnership, adds Ducrou and Piticco, holds “great potential and opportunity for artists, contractors and broadens the Australian music industry as we grow and expand and that’s great for our audiences too.”

Last month, Secret Sounds and LN stepped up its activities in the talent agency space through a partnership to launch Cult Artists, led by Daniel Sant, with Jess Wust and Kim Ramos on board as agents.