Big Day Out may not return
Australia’s dormant festival giant Big Day Out won’t go ahead as promised in 2016 and it may never come back.
The festival’s former promoter and current Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah told TMN: "There is no guarantee it will ever come back."
Overnight,Maddah tweeted the following toABC reporter Stephanie Corsetti:
Source: FasterLouder
AJ Maddah bought in to Big Day Out in September 2013 but sold his 50% share to C3 in early 2014. Maddahtold triple jlast year that he lost 5.5 million on the 2014 run of Big Day Out but that it was less than what C3 lost. Maddah also told triple j that C3 has given him the chance to buy back his share for the 2016 edition.
Now, Maddah has told TMN: "If and when it does [come back]my involvement will be my decision."
In June last year C3 Presents, the Austin-based company behind Big Day Out confirmed there would be no festival in 2015, marking the first time the festival took a year off since 1999. However C3did say the festival would return in 2016.
Since then, C3 Presents was purchased by US promoter giant Live Nation Entertainment. Live Nation completed its deal with C3 last December, reportedly paying around US$125 million for a 51% stake. Live Nation now has a global festival portfolio of over 60 events, including Lollapalooza, Reading, Leeds, T in the Park, Electric Daisy Carnival, Rock Werchter, and the recently acquired Bonnaroo.
Following poor ticket sales of the 2015Soundwave, which Maddah promotes, the festival won't return to Adelaide next year and will return to a one-day format. Three weeks after the festival wrapped up in earlyMarch, organisers announced 2016 dates for Soundwave; the new dates are in the same time-frame thatBig Day Out usually takes place.
Australia's large touring festivals are struggling to stay alive. In recent years the localtouring model has seen the cancellation of Fat As Butter, Harvest, Homebake, Pyramid Rock, Spin Off and Come Together,and when Mushroom Group made the decision to shutter its Future Music Festivalthismonth its statement read:“It’s been a difficult decision to make but in the end travelling the festival in its current form across Australia simply doesn’t make financial sense anymore."