The Sprung Hip Hop Festival has announced its return for 2014, announcing the date and venue for this year’s edition, but has also confirmed it will not be expanding to Melbourne following the event’s sudden cancellation last year.
This year’s Sprung will once again take place in its native Brisbane, once again taking place in September with a yet-to-be announce all-Aussie lineup for the fourth year running.
“After 6 months of planning and washing last year’s dirty taste out of our collective mouths, Sprung is happy to announce that it will be held on Sept 20th in the outdoor and indoor setting of The Eatons Hill Hotel and Entertainment Centre,” reads a statement issued on the event’s Facebook page.
“After Sprung’s attempt at expansion in Melbourne unfortunately met with licensing and venue issues leading to the cancellation … the Sprung Hip Hop crew have stepped back from their plans of potential cat stroking world domination and decided to put an all in effort into continuing to make Sprung Brisbane the must see calendar event that it has been for the past 3 yrs running.” “After 6 months of planning and washing last year’s dirty taste out of our collective mouths, Sprung is happy to announce [its return].”
Josh Taylor of Cassette Entertainment, one of Sprung’s organisers, adds: “This year the format is going to be very much that of the original one in 2011 with some nice surprises to come. We are very excited for 2014 and looking forward to bringing the All Australian Hip Hop festival back.”
Despite another successful run in Brisbane last year with a lineup featuring 360, Seth Sentry, Drapht, Urhtboy, Pez and more, Sprung’s Melbourne debut, set to take place on Saturday 19th October at the Kevin Bartlett Sports Complex, was scrapped just weeks out from the event owing to liquor and venue licensing issues; at the time, it was the latest in a wave of troubled urban events and hip hop festivals that had been cancelled.
The shift to Eatons Hill and Brisbane Entertainment Centre for 2014 marks the latest venue shift for Sprung, which first launched in 2011 at the Riverstage, before moving to Fortitude Valley in 2012, and Victoria Park last year. Our Tone Deaf reviewer of the Sprung Hip Hop Festival 2013 remarked, “with a unique outlook, a wonderful feel and consistently fantastic line ups, Australian hip hop fans are never disappointed.” Read the full review here and check out our photo gallery of the festival here.
Sprung Hip Hop Festival 2014
Saturday 20th September – The Eatons Hill Hotel and Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane.
Sprung Hip Hop Festival 2014 Lineup & Tickets TBA
(Photo: Matt Warrell. Source: Sprung 2013 Tone Deaf Photo Gallery)
