Splendour in the Grass announces Sydney spin-off festival as uncertainty surrounds November event

Splendour in the Grass has partnered with the NSW Government for Splendour in the City, a spin-off event set to take place over nine days next month.

The festival will see over 20 artists take to the city’s Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay between Saturday 10 – Sunday 18 July for a down-scaled take on the beloved Byron Bay festival, boasting a lineup of both musical and comedic acts.

Local favourites such as Spacey Jane, Tash Sultana, Ocean Alley and Violent Soho will perform sets at the event’s 900 capacity Customs Hall, while the likes of Dune Rats, Triple One, Ziggy Ramo and Alice Skye will perform at the smaller 400 capacity Cargo Hall.

Other attractions include long-table dining, speciality bars, art installations, markets, children’s activities and a Freak VR pop-up room to replicate the authentic festival experience.

News of Splendour in the City comes in the wake of the festival’s recent Splendour XR announcement, a limited edition streamed/ virtual reality festival experience featuring The Killers, Denzel Curry, Grimes, Charli XCX and CHVRCHES.

Both events appear to serve as a means of keeping punters engaged with the festival and tapping new revenue streams while the status of Splendour’s November event is still uncertain.

The original 2020 edition of Splendour in the Grass, which was to be initially headlined by Tyler, The Creator, The Strokes and Flume, was postponed and subsequently cancelled last year due to COVID-19.

Organisers have since rescheduled the festival for this November, however, the likelihood of it going ahead is challenged by ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks and the Federal Government’s sluggish vaccine rollout around the country.

Splendour in the Grass co-founder Jessica Ducrou noted that while the team are still working towards making November’s event viable, alternatives such as the Splendour in the City pop-up and Splendour XR will provide fans with a means of showing their support for the event until an official decision is made.

“While we’re still working towards our Byron Bay event in November and are very grateful for the ongoing support from our Splendour community, we hope that the Splendour in the City pop up, alongside our recently announced Splendour XR virtual festival, will tide you all over in the meantime,” Ducrou said.

Head to the Splendour in the City website for lineup and ticketing details.