Splendour in the Grass

Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near Byron Bay, New South Wales, and Woodford, Queensland.[1]

This article is about the Australian music festival. For other uses, see Splendor in the Grass (disambiguation).

Splendour in the Grass
GenreIndie rock, hip hop, electronic, alternative
DatesLate July
Location(s)Australia
  • Byron Bay, NSW (2001-2009),
  • Woodford, QLD (2010-2011),
  • Yelgun, NSW (2012 – present)
Years active2001 - present

The festival was jointly created and promoted by the Village Sounds Agency and Secret Service music companies, and began in 2001 as a one-day gathering to cater for Australia's winter season (a period that had traditionally been associated with very few events of this nature). "Ode: Intimations of Immortality", by English poet William Wordsworth, was the inspiration for the naming of the event.[2] The festival evolved into a two-day event in 2002 and a three-day event in 2009.[3] It is now considered Australia's largest music festival.[4][5]

Splendour in the Grass showcases popular and established musical artists, as well as emerging Australian artists. The music festival has attracted notable artists such as Coldplay, Powderfinger, Arctic Monkeys, Kanye West, Tame Impala and Lorde. The 2020 edition will be headlined by Gorillaz, The Strokes, and Tyler, the Creator.

Festival summary by year
Edition Year Dates Headliner/s
1st 2001 July 21
2nd 2002 July 20–21
3rd 2003 July 19–20
4th 2004 July 24–25
5th 2005 July 23–24
6th 2006 July 22–23
7th 2007 August 4–5
8th 2008 July 24–25
9th 2009 July 25–26
10th 2010 July 30-August 1
11th 2011 July 29–31
12th 2012 July 27–29
13th 2013 July 26–28
14th 2014 July 25–27
15th 2015 July 24–26
16th 2016 July 22–24
17th 2017 July 21–23
18th 2018 July 20–22
19th 2019 July 19–21
20th 2020 Originally scheduled for July 24–26, later rescheduled to October 23–25, later postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic[6][7] Booked for 2020:
2021 July 23–25

Lineups
Main article: List of Splendour in the Grass line-ups

Controversies

Ticketing Issues

Tickets for the 2005 festival were sold out within 11 hours and, soon after, festival tickets that initially cost A$125 were offered on eBay at inflated prices of up to A$3000. The festival organisers responded by sending "cease and desist" letters to eBay, as well as around 150 ticket resellers, citing a breach of the conditions of sale. However, eBay refused to block the ticket auctions, claiming it was the seller's responsibility to ensure that they have the ability and right to sell products. The Triple J radio station encouraged its listeners to sabotage the bidding process and fake bids of up to A$10,000 were consequently listed on eBay by protesters opposed to ticket scalping.[8] Following media coverage, the NSW Department of Fair Trading became involved and met with eBay representatives. The then-Fair Trading Minister John Hatzistergos instructed the Office of Fair Trading to investigate the reselling of tickets and determine whether resellers were in breach of the Fair Trading Act. Festival promoters hoped that the investigation would eventually lead to the introduction of anti-ticket scalping legislation.

In response to the events of 2005, the organisers altered the ticketing system for the 2006 festival. In an unprecedented action, ticket buyers were required to register their name and date of birth at the time of purchase. These details were then printed on the event tickets and valid identification was required to gain admission into the festival. Tickets to the 2006 festival went on sale at 9am on Monday 15 May 2006—all camping tickets sold out within three hours, and all general admission tickets sold out after 48 hours.

Festival organisers encountered difficulties with the ticketing system provided by the Qjump company in 2008, as consumers were unable to purchase tickets following lengthy delays.[9] Qjump later issued an apology on the festival's Internet forum.

Venue issues

For a once-only trial, the organisers obtained permission to stage the 2009 Splendour in the Grass at a site in Yelgun. However, the consent provided to the organisers was the subject of a challenge by a group of residents, environmentalist and the Environmental Defenders Office of NSW, who presented their case in the New South Wales Land and Environment Court. The Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court, Justice Brian Preston, ruled that Byron Shire Council had exceeded its powers by granting the development consent where the land included parts zoned for conservation purposes. The development consent was ruled invalid, prohibiting the festival from being held at the Yelgun site.[10] As a consequence of the decision, the festival remained at the Belongil site in 2009, before returning one more time in 2012.[11]

In 2016 attendees made accusations they were forced to walk from the venue or sleep in the mud due to a lack of transport.[12]

References
  1. "Woodford Splendour at an end". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  2. Sharwood, Anthony (21 July 2017). "The Real Meaning Of Splendour In The Grass Is Enough To Make Your Jaw Drop". Huffington Post. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  3. "An animated history of Splendour In The Grass". Red Bull. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  4. "Splendour & Falls Festival Just Got Closer To Securing A Location For 2018 & 2019". Music Feeds. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  5. Quinn, Karl (19 July 2019). "Australian rock royalty to win as Splendour in the Grass gets even bigger". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  6. "Splendour in the Grass". Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  7. Cooper, Nathanael (10 June 2020). "Splendour in the Grass postponed until 2021". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  8. Murray, Lisa (13 May 2005). "Music fans bombard scalpers on website". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  9. AAP (23 May 2008). "Fans angry over Splendour in the Grass ticket problem". news.com.au. News Limited. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  10. Land and Environment Court of New South Wales (6 May 2009). "Conservation of North Ocean Shores Inc v Byron Shire Council & Ors [2009] NSWLEC 69". Land and Environment Court of New South Wales. NSW Attorney General and Justice. Archived from the original on 4 August 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  11. JackT (22 April 2009). "Splendour In The Grass 2009 line-up". inthemix. inthemix Pty Ltd. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  12. Welsh, C., Slezak, M. (23 July 2016). "Splendour in the Grass but no sign of the bus at the end of the show". The Guardian.

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