Return to Rio has become the latest in a long line of Australian music festivals to be scrapped.
In an Instagram post, they said they were canceling the festival “after much thought” and with a “heavy heart,” but shared their hopes of returning again in 2025.
They claimed additional costs imposed by the NSW Police and Department of Health to cover medical and police services have made it “almost impossible” to hold the event.
“After much thought and with great regret, we are sad to announce that Return to Rio 2024 will not take place,” organizers wrote in a lengthy statement.
Return to Rio has become the latest in a long line of Australian music festivals to be cancelled, as organizers confirmed it was canceled due to rising costs.
‘Return to Rio has an excellent track record as a safe and well-run festival and has operated successfully for over a decade without any major incidents.
‘But last year it was decided that our medical and police costs should increase by a whopping 529 per cent.
‘This, combined with the additional rules and regulations we have to comply with, meant that last year we incurred over $300k in additional costs. For a small family business, this makes it almost impossible not to make losses.’
“With so many people struggling financially right now, passing these incredibly high fees on to them is not something we are willing to do,” they continued.
The 2023 edition took place from October 27 to 29 at Wisemans Ferry and attracted DJs such as Ammonita, Anthony Pappa and Bushwacka!, among others.
‘We believe that we all have the right to enjoy festivals as the rest of the world manages to do so safely without this heavy hand. But sadly it is becoming impossible to continue doing what we do here in New South Wales.
“So this year we will exit the game, hoping that this madness stops and common sense prevails. We hope to come back bigger and better in 2025. Much love.”
The 2023 edition took place from October 27 to 29 at Wisemans Ferry and attracted DJs such as Ammonita, Anthony Pappa and Bushwacka!, among others.
It is the latest in a long line of festivals to be scrapped this year, raising concerns about the future of live music in Australia.
It is the latest in a long line of festivals to be scrapped this year in Australia, raising concerns about the future of live music in Australia (pictured: Groovin The Moo in 2019).
The hugely popular Groovin The Moo festival, which was due to be headlined by Alice Wonderland (above) this year, has been forced to cancel – two months before it was due to start.
Groovin The Moo is one of Australia’s largest music festivals and has been held every year since 2005, except for 2020 and 2021 when it was suspended due to Covid.
This year, the musical show was scheduled to tour cities including Wayville, Canberra, Bendigo, Newcastle and the Sunshine Coast between April 25 and May 11.
However, in February, organizers announced that the 2024 festival had been forced to cancel, just two months before it was due to start.
Just a week after tickets went on sale, organizers confirmed that the regional shows would no longer take place this year, citing poor ticket sales.
Splendor in the Grass was due to take place from July 19 to 21 at North Byron Parklands, with Kylie Minogue headlining.
Splendor in the Grass was due to take place from July 19 to 21 at North Byron Parklands, with Kylie Minogue (pictured) headlining, but was also canceled due to “unexpected events”.
But the 2024 event was canceled just weeks after the program was announced, with organizers citing “unexpected events” as the reason for the decision as its future remains uncertain.
NYE In The Park collapsed after failing to pay its debts, while ValleyWays and Tent Pole Music Festival were also canceled amid the “impossible” economic climate.
Amid the cancellations, Dance Monkey singer Tones And I has issued a dire warning about the future of festivals in Australia.
He urged fans to support local artists and events, as well as big global names, and warned Australia will have “no festivals left” amid the cancellations.
Amid the cancellations, Dance Monkey singer Tones And I (pictured) has issued a dire warning about the future of festivals in Australia and urged people to support local artists.
She said: ‘Splendour in the Grass 2024 has been canceled and it’s quite sad because we also lost Groovin the Moo and Falls Festival in recent years and we don’t know if it will be back.’
“I think it’s more important now than ever to buy tickets to your favorite bands, go to live shows, go to festivals, even if you love the vibe, because these kids aren’t coming back; some of these festivals can’t come back.” and they need that support.
“I understand that everyone gets really excited when foreign artists come, and that’s really exciting, but soon we won’t have any festivals left, which will not only discourage foreign artists from coming, but it’s really going to hinder the promising music scene. Australian live music.
“If you can, do your best to support local artists and festivals in your own country.”
