With the absence of the Big Day Out and a Soundwave struggling outside of the East Coast, Sir Richard Branson has hinted that it could be time for V Festival to make a comeback, six years after the event was last held in Australia.
As Triple J reports, Sir Richard was speaking in an interview with Triple J’s Tom Tilley on Hack this afternoon. The two were discussing the entrepreneur’s call for clemency for the Bali Nine when Tilley asked him about the future of festivals in Australia.
“Well I think the future of a big music festival should be good because people love live music and I hadn’t realised that Australia had such a setback,” said Sir Branson.
“Where there’s setbacks in a country, that’s where Virgin loves to tread, so maybe we should try to get the team at the V Festival to have another look at Australia.”
Asked whether that meant that V Festival could be making a return to Australia, Branson replied, “Well, why not — we’ll have a look at it and if we do, you can take full credit for it.”
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V Festival last toured Australia back in 2009, with a lineup featuring The Killers, Snow Patrol, Tame Impala, The Temper Trap, and Elbow rolling through Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and the Gold Coast. It was the last instalment of a three-year run for the event.
The festival’s Australian incarnation was shelved in 2010 when promoters Michael Coppel Presents discontinued their partnership with the Virgin Group. The festival’s official website has teased that it “is taking a break at the moment” ever since.
While the event’s return would certainly be welcomed by many, it’s important to note that there were also rumours of a return back in 2011, though nothing came to fruition.
Meanwhile, Australian touring mogul AJ Maddah recently spoke on the possibility of a return for his alt-rock event Harvest Festival, which was cancelled back in 2013 due to lacklustre ticket sales.
Having previously indicated a desire to bring the event back in future years, Maddah was asked by a Twitter follower what the likelihood of the event returning in 2015 would be.
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“Not likely,” the promoter replied. “Tbh will have to wait for economy to pick up again,” he added, echoing similar sentiments expressed about the recent demise of Soundwave Festival’s Adelaide leg.
Speaking to FasterLouder, Maddah indicated that the failure of his flagship event in the South Australian capital was due in large part to the struggling economy and a lack of youth employment.
While Harvest was popular among Aussie punters, 2013 ticket sales were sluggish enough that Maddah told Fairfax Media last September that it’s “pretty fucking unlikely” the festival will return.
“There’s always going to be knock-backs when you are trying to create something new. It’s been a labour of love but we have a couple of great years to remember,” the outspoken promoter told the news outlet.
So, is Harvest making a comeback? Possibly. Considering the door on the festival previously seemed shut and dead-bolted, Maddah’s current outlook on one of Australia’s best festivals is certainly a lot more promising and optimistic.
