In another massive blow for the Australian music industry, another major festival has been
Organisers of the Birdsville Big Red Bash, which was slated to run from July 7 to July 9, announced on Friday that the popular festival would not .
The festival site, located 35 kilometres west of Birdsville in the Simpson Desert, had been affected by floodwaters for many months.
Organisers attempted to find an alternative site for the 2026 festival and, after surveying ticketholders – most of whom opted to cancel – the event was called off.
'After careful consideration of the available options, we decided that relocating the Birdsville Big Red Bash was not feasible for 2026,' festival founder Greg Donovan said in a statement.
'The decision to cancel this year’s event, whilst difficult, is based on what we believe is in the best interest of the event and patrons.'
In another massive blow for the Australian music industry, another major festival, The Birdsville Big Red Bash, has been cancelled despite being 90 per cent sold out
Organisers of the Birdsville Big Red Bash announced on Friday that the popular festival would not go ahead for the second year in a row due to flooding at the festival site. Pictured: Jessica Mauboy, who was slated to perform
He continued: 'Mother Nature is the highest authority. This year she has spoken, and we have heard the message.'
'We can't express our gratitude enough to everyone who put their faith in us and purchased tickets to this year's Bash, and we sincerely regret the disappointment this will cause for so many people.
'We were so looking forward to another fantastic year with a great line-up of Australian artists.'
The three-day festival, which has been running since 2016, except for breaks in 2020 and 2025, regularly attracts thousands of music fans.
This year promised a stacked line-up of Australian talent, including Jessica Mauboy, Shannon Noll, The Living End, Missy Higgins, and Hoodoo Gurus.
Ticketholders will be given the option of a full refund, transferring their tickets to the 2027 Big Red Bash, or to the 2026 Mundi Mundi Bash, held from August 22-26.
It
The event, which has been a huge hit since its inception in 1990, was set to take place over the Easter long weekend and was .
'The decision to cancel this year’s event, whilst difficult, is based on what we believe is in the best interest of the event and patrons. Mother Nature is the highest authority. This year she has spoken, and we have heard the message'
This year promised a stacked line-up of Australian talent including Jessica Mauboy, Shannon Noll (pictured), The Living End, Missy Higgins, and Hoodoo Gurus
'In 2025, the festival generated approximately $65million in indirect tourism spending for Byron Bay, $130million across the Northern Rivers region, and around $230million in economic activity across New South Wales,' the statement continued.
'The festival has supported local businesses, tourism operators, hospitality venues, suppliers and the broader creative community.
'Rising production, logistics, insurance and touring costs, combined with softer ticket demand and international uncertainties, have made it impossible to proceed with the festival in 2026.'
Event organisers went on to say 'a liquidator has been appointed to manage all financial matters for Bluesfest Byron Bay, including vendor and partner obligations'.
Multiple industry sources earlier confirmed the festival had been cancelled this year due to poor ticket sales.
