No More Big Day Out?

The plan was for the festival, which at its peak drew 350,000 to six cities and single-handedly broke alt-rock and EDM acts, to return in 2016. But AJ Maddah, who runs the heavy rock Soundwave festival, suggested the plan has changed.

Maddah, who sold his 50 percent BDO share in early 2014, planned to regain co-ownership by 2016. In a tweet responding to an ABC Radio query, he advised a no-return until 2017. He qualified that 24 hours later, telling trade journal The Music Network, “There is no guarantee it will ever come back.”

He blamed “the pissweak state of the AUD$ (Australian dollar) and general availability of bankable headliners.” Maddah previously revealed he lost A$5.5 million ($4.3 million) on Big Day Out 2014 and C3’s loss was greater.