‘Don’t let it wash away your spirit’: Splendour in the Grass to go ahead in muddy conditions

Revellers at Splendour in the Grass have tried to make the most of the muddy situation, partying and promising to see the festival out despite some sleeping in their cars for the second evening in a row.

Organisers of Australia’s biggest music festival have urged fans to turn up to the event over the weekend, after main-stage performances were cancelled on Friday.

“The site is weather affected,” organisers said on Saturday.

It’s not just like a bit of mud, you can’t camp there, people are parked in and they can’t get out

Liam Bourke

“However don’t let it wash away your spirit! We have waited three long years for this and have worked so hard to bring you the show.

“Be patient, kind and safe.”

Liam Bourke and his four mates spent two evenings in their car after their tents were flooded on Thursday night.

“We have a gazebo and two tents attached, one of the tents is totally flooded, the other one is a bit luckier … but we won’t sleep in it,” Bourke said on Friday night.

The group spent the first night in their car because of the rain and woke up surrounded by water.

On Friday morning there was 10cm of water in some places. Photograph: Liam Burke This was close to where Liam Burke and his friends were camping. Photograph: Liam Burke There were still people arriving in cars as the place flooded on Friday. Photograph: Liam Burke

While their stuff was all wet, they were glad their campsite wasn’t 10cm underwater.

“Some of the people are underwater, it’s not just like a bit of mud, you can’t camp there, people are parked in and they can’t get out.”

Gigs were cancelled on day one of the Splendour in the Grass but other areas remained open. Photograph: Jason O’Brien/AAP

A maximum of 6mm of rain is set to fall on Byron Bay on Saturday but will ease on Sunday, with organisers saying the festival’s programming will now move “ahead as planned”.

Zar Chavla, 23, who came up with a group of friends from Newcastle on Thursday morning, said if they got through Friday night, “the remaining two days will be OK”.

There’s just been zero communication and it’s not the volunteers’ fault

Kayla Naugton

Chavla said staff had told him the poles holding up the marquees in the main area were sinking into the ground, which was why Friday was cancelled.

“We feel like they have endlessly said we are going to have a good time and then they cancel.”

Kayla Naugton and her friends had all their things flooded. They couldn’t move their car to get out, and after one volunteer checked to see if they were OK on Friday morning, no one from Splendour had contacted them or come to their campsite.

A festival goer in the mud. Photograph: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images Some people spent two nights sleeping in their cars. Photograph: Liam Burke

“There are tankers trying to get some water out but apart from that, nothing,” she said.

She said her group were more annoyed the organisers said it would go ahead no matter what – before cancelling the first day.

“There’s just been zero communication and it’s not the volunteers’ fault.

“This weather is bad, but it’s pretty unsafe and it was a lot of money.”

Alex Dray said patrons were annoyed about the lack of communication from organisers but said everyone he spoke to was hoping this wouldn’t be the last Splendour.

“We’ve had two years of lockdowns, now this. It would be a shame for it to be the last one.

“I want this festival to keep going.”

Some festival goers say they have given up and left while others are determined to celebrate the first Splendour in the Grass since 2019. Photograph: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images A festival goer navigating the mud. Photograph: Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Not everyone was as relaxed, with some deciding the mud and stress just wasn’t worth it.

“We arrived in the lineup to the festival at 5.20pm – didn’t enter festival grounds until 3.05am,” said Daniel Waters, who along with thousands of others, waited in line on Thursday evening to get in.

“By the time we entered the festival grounds we could only find three staff members on site, all of whom were clearly exhausted,” he said.

Waters and his mates were assigned a camp spot in the day parking area, and set up their tent, which flooded within a few hours.

In the morning, with the rain still pouring, they decided to leave.

“We’re also hoping that we can somehow get a full refund of the ticket due to the entire festival being ruined by the weather conditions and poor organisation.”