Australasia News: Festivals Come Back Strong; Aussies Prioritize Live; NZ: Dunedin’s Dropkick Delayed

AUSTRALIA

Summer Festivals Bolt Out Of Box

Summer festivals are returning strongly avoiding lacklustre bills that brought down Secret Sounds’ Splendour In The Grass and Cattleyard’s Groovin’ The Moo.

The 32nd Meredith Music in Victoria (Dec. 6—8) sold out its 12,500 tix in 30 seconds.
The bill includes USA’s Jamie xx, ZAPP, Waxahatchee, Princess Superstar and Mannequin Pussy, major and emerging local names as Genesis Owusu, BARKAA, Glass Beams and Angie McMahon, and off-center adds like the Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir and ‘70s Brit singer Leo Sayer.

ULTRA Worldwide announced a return to Gold Coast’s Broadwater Parklands April 11 and Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse April 12.

Last year’s sell-outs drew a total 40,000, with Finders Keepers director Travis Grech expecting numbers to rise to 45,000. Ultra’s access to A-list EDM names – last year’s bill included Zedd, Armin Van Buuren and Steve Aoki – generates a growing international element in the audience.

Untitled Group’s flagship Beyond The Valley (Dec. 28 to Jan, 1) sold 85% immediately.
The event which hit 25,000 capacity last year has as headliners Australia’s DJ FISHER, USA’s Ice Spice and UK duo Chase & Status. The acts will also feature on Untitled’s Wildlands which stages in three cities Dec. 31 to Jan. 5.

Also posting an immediate near sell-out was Finely Tuned’s Lost Paradise (Dec. 28 to Jan. 1).

Strong out of the box was Destroy All Lines’ Good Things festival (Dec. 6, Melbourne) with headliners Korn, Sum 41 and Violent Femmes who had not visited Australia for a long time.

CMC Rocks (March 21 to 23) expects another 23,000 sell-out with its first round including hot US names Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and Thomas Rhett.

Majority of Aussies See Live Music As Priority

Despite cost of living concerns, 56% of Aussies see live music events as a priority expense, and two out of three are attending the same or more.

Front Row Centre, the third issue of the Ticketing State of Play report by Australian ticket resale marketplace Tixel and leading culture marketing agency Bolster, canvassed 3,000.

Tough choices are being made by the 18-24 age group, as 50% are impacted by living costs and 57% choose between basic needs and a ticket. One in three still go to three to five stadium or arena concerts. Fifty-five percent thought dropping ticket prices by A$5 to A$10 ($3.30 to $6.70) would make the choice easier. 51% of 18- to 24-year-olds buy tickets to see an act discovered via TikTok or IG Reels audio.

While a younger generation of festivals are selling out, 45% of respondents thought festivals have faded in relevance, and 63% prefer singular genre-focused lineups.

NEW ZEALAND

Dunedin Venue Dropkicks Launch Delayed

The sold-out Sept. 14 launch of Dunedin’s Dropkicks was delayed a week out “due to circumstances beyond our control,” owner Loboski Venues Ltd revealed.

It transpired it made its launch announcement while its liquor licence is still pending.
There’s an objection by student alcohol harm reduction group Students for Sensible Drug Policy which claimed a ‘‘clearly identifiable risk that the prospective licensee will make things worse for students,” especially in a college town like Dunedin.

Loboski’s plan was to hold the launch in September and then start booking acts permanently in 2025. The district licensing committee will hold a hearing early October on Dropkick’s application.