Caloundra Music Festival is cancelled: Another Australian event is canned due to cost-of-living crisis

Another Australian music festival has been cancelled with the organiser blaming increased costs as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.

Caloundra Music Festival, which had 16,000 people attend last year, is held annually at Kings Beach on the Sunshine Coast and was scheduled for October 4 – 6.

The event, held over three days, usually floods the local economy with an estimated $4m.

However, the event organisers, Sunshine Coast Council, said in a statement they have had to ‘pause’ the festival.

Caloundra Music Festival is the latest in a long line to fall by the wayside after prominent events such as Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo were canned. 

‘The much-loved Caloundra Music Festival (CMF) will take a break in 2024 due to the impact of rising operating costs and cost-of-living pressures on event ticket sales,’ organisers said in a statement.

‘It will join the growing list of major music festivals across Australia that have been affected by similar challenges.’

The festival organisers said like other festivals around the country, they too had experienced rising costs, including infrastructure, security, policing, labour, and accommodation.

Sunshine Coast Council also said they have had to contend with the ‘impact of higher interest rates’ on patrons – as well as increased rent, food, fuel and power costs which has meant people have less money to spend on tickets.

Sunshine Coast Council Division 2 Councillor Terry Landsberg said the annual event is a loss for the area’s local event industry.

‘The increasing expenditure required to deliver a safe and entertaining event while trying to keep tickets prices reasonable puts festivals like this in a precarious position,’ he said.

‘We needed to make a decision early in the planning process to avoid the potential of costly cancellation fees.

‘Hopefully, conditions will improve, and it can get back on its feet.’

Festival director Richie Eyles said the event also provided local performers the  opportunity to ‘get a leg-up into the festival scene’ and share the stage with both Aussie and international acts.

‘The Sunshine Coast has such a vibrant music community and the loss of CMF, alongside other events in 2024, like Groovin the Moo, will be felt deeply,’ he said.

‘I encourage people to support other festivals, venues and artists by purchasing tickets often and early.’

Artist’s to hit the stage in the past have included Aussie acts Empire of the Sun, Missy Higgins and Powderfinger, as well as international artists Arrested Development, New Power Generation and Michael Franti. 

The Australian Festival Association’s Adelle Robinson told a Senate hearing on Tuesday more than 25 music events have been cancelled since 2022.

Ms Robinson urged the government to introduce measures such as a government-supported insurance scheme.

Creative Australia’s first Soundcheck report that was released last week revealed the cost was an average $3.9 million to run a music festival. 

Furthermore, the report said more than one-third of Australian music festivals are losing money, citing skyrocketing operational costs, difficult red-tape and people in their late teens and early 20s not attending events.

Out of 51 Australian music festivals surveyed, over half made a profit – but 35 per cent had a median loss of $470,000.