Sydney Festival Cancels Major Music Event Summerground

The inaugural edition of the Summerground music festival, which was set to kick off in Tumbalong Park as part of the 2024 Sydney Festival in January has been cancelled.

Summerground was set to usher in the festival’s opening weekend from 5-7 January, boasting a lineup that included King Stingray, Electric Fields, Cimafunk, Queen Omega, The Brand New Heavies, Dem Mob, Beckah Amani, The Teskey Brothers, Full Flower Moon Band and more.

According to event organisers, the cancellation essentially boiled down to financial reasons.

“The Summerground mid-city music festival planned as part of the 2024 Sydney Festival has today sadly been cancelled,” Sydney Festival organisers said in a statement on Friday (Dec. 1).

“Changing consumer behaviours, cost of living pressures and mounting operational expenses are having an impact on many large music festivals nationwide and unfortunately, Summerground was not immune from these factors,”

“Sydney Festival will provide a full refund to patrons who have already bought tickets and has thanked Summerground artists for their understanding.”

They continued, “We remain fully committed to the spirit of live music and are proud to present a wide range of other music offerings in the 2024 program that showcase the diverse talent our music scene offers.”

Organisers assured patrons that the rest of Sydney Festival’s program has not been affected, with more than 130 events locked in for the January celebration.