Splendour in the Grass attendees call festival a ‘national travesty’ after day one cancelled

Australia’s biggest music festival was forced to cancel day one acts following torrential rain in Byron Bay (Instagram @splendourinthegrass)

Splendour in the Grass attendees have expressed disappointment after the main acts on day one were cancelled over poor weather.

The annual Australian music festival held in Byron Bay, New South Wales, was scheduled to kick off on Friday (22 July) following a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19.

However, in a statement posted to Splendour’s social media channels, festival organisers said they had “decided to err on the side of caution” and cancel performances on its main stages after the campsite was hit by torrential rain.

These included headliner act Gorrillaz, as well as performances by Kacey Musgraves and The Avalanches.

In a statement, the team behind Splendour clarified that the festival line-up would be impacted “on Friday only” with other acts likely to go ahead as planned.

The announcement was met with disappointment from festival-goers who had reached the Byron Bay venue only to find long queues, flooded campsites, and disorganisation, according to News.com.au.

One person told the outlet: “I literally came for the Gorillaz – I’ll be p***** if that’s true.”

Another said: “What’s the point of a festival without the music? I think it’s horrible – everyone’s paid $400 (£231) to see the Gorillaz.”

One person dubbed the experience a “national travesty”.

The Gorrillaz confirmed that their performance has been cancelled in a statement posted to Twitter, writing they were “beyond devastated” over it.

Musgraves also commented on the cancellations, tweeting: “F****** SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS. Gigantic bummer.

“I flew 20 hours and drove three to be here with y’all,” she continued, addressing fans and adding, “I know so many of you also travelled far and spent money. This weather has been utterly insane. Please stay safe. I will be back as soon as I can. Much love.”

Splendour has informed concertgoers affected directly by the cancellation that they will be contacted for information on refunds.

“We ask for patience while we work through the refund process. Please be assured that our event team is working very hard to provide the best experience possible under the current circumstances,” their statement read.