Mountain Sounds goes into liquidation after cancelled event

Mountain Sounds, the two-day NSW Central Coast festival which cancelled this month blaming the attitude of authorities, has gone into liquidation after five years in operations.

Documents show the event is in the red by $1,578,419.69.

Creditors include $893,000 for ticketing company Eventbrite, $89,000 to the Australian Tax Office and a number of artists like Courtney Barnett, who is said to be down $100,000.

The appointed liquidator is Shaw Gidley Newcastle.

Scheduled to be held on February 15 and 16, Mountain Sounds earlier complained that authorities had increased costs in the name of safety.

This included $200,000 for 45 police officers on a 24-hour cycle throughout the event. Earlier in the year, they had been quoted a quarter of that figure.

Promoters said: “In 2018, Mountain Sounds ran smoothly, with an attendance of 16,000 people over two days, 11 user pay police and no major drug-related incidents.”

The event was cancelled on February 9 after trying to cope with extra safety demands by axing 21 acts from its bill.

Promoters said at the time, “Unfortunately, we … have been put in an impossible situation as it was unrealistic for us to pull this money together, particularly given the time frame.”

NSW Police claimed there had been “numerous breaches” in pre-event paperwork.