Jessica Ducrou Exits Secret Sounds Group

Jessica Ducrou, the co-founder of Splendour in the Grass, is departing from Secret Sounds Group, the company she formed with Paul Piticco in 2016.

The bombshell news was dropped Friday morning, June 21, and follows the shock cancelation of this year’s Splendour. 

With the twin-leadership of Ducrou and Dew Process boss Piticco, Secret Sounds Group can claim to be one of the largest live music enterprises in Australia, representing Splendour in the Grass, Harvest Rock, Falls Festival, Secret Sounds Touring, Village Sounds booking agency, Secret Sounds Connect commercial rights and creative agency, North Byron Parklands, The Triffid venue in Brisbane and other assets.

Live Nation Entertainment bought a controlling stake in Secret Sounds Group eight years ago. 

“So many memorable moments over the last almost decade with Secret Sounds, what a wild ride it’s been,” Ducrou comments in a statement. “I’m well due for an overseas summer holiday so it’s a good time to take a break before I embark on my next chapter. It has been an epic journey that has been truly inspiring, and an opportunity to collaborate with the best in the business. It would not have been as rewarding, possible or enjoyable if it weren’t for the people I have worked alongside of.”

Ducrou’s departure follows the surprise scratching of Splendour 2024, which had booked a lineup led by Kylie Minogue, Future and Arcade Fire for its annual party in Byron Bay, set for late July.

The pin was pulled on Splendour in March, just days after the general ticket onsale.

Established in 2001, Splendour was, for a generation, the hottest ticket on the festivals calendar. 

The pandemic struck a blow, as the event was announced, then shelved, on several occasions. Then, in 2022, extreme weather intervened and washed out the first day of the event, contributing to softer-than-usual ticket sales for the 2023 edition. 

Splendour 2024 is the highest-profile casualty among Australia’s crop festival brands, all of them under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis and other issues.   

In her media statement, Ducrou paid tribute to Piticco as “a great business partner for more than 30 years and we will no doubt continue our friendship well into the future. The Secret Sounds team, notably Elise Huntley and the festivals gang, are the absolute best, I will miss working with the awesome individuals who inspired me every single day. I wish all at Secret Sounds and Live Nation the very best success in their future endeavours.” 

For the time being, Ducrou will continue to serve as chair of SoundNSW and advocate for the festival space as deputy chair of the Australian Festivals Association.