It’s a sad day for music lovers in Deniliquin, as Play On The Plains festival has officially been cancelled for 2023.
The all-day event, which was set to occur on 11 March at the Deniliquin Ute Muster site, was set to be headlined by Jessica Mauboy, with other performers including King Stingray, Alex Lahey, Northeast Party House, and Carp Factory.
Play On The Plains has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales, making it no longer viable for the organizers to host an event and suffer a financial loss.
Chairman of Play On The Plains, Russell Tait, said in a statement, “We’ve been committed to getting it off the ground, but the numbers are just not there. On behalf of the Board, staff and artists who have done everything possible to drive ticket sales, we must be realistic and cancel at this point.”
General Manager for the festival, Vicky Lowry, added, “We’d like to thank all the suppliers, artists, staff and volunteers who have worked so hard over the past three years to make Play on the Plains the wonderful party it’s been and, hopefully, we’ll be able to play again sometime down the track.”
Ticketholders will be refunded in full. Last year’s event was a hit, with Amy Shark, Spacey Jane, Skegss, and more taking the stage. Unfortunately, the uncertainty of the music industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on festivals like Play On The Plains, with Ninch Fest also being cancelled this year due to slow ticket sales and rising costs.
As independent events, both Play On The Plains and Ninch Fest are facing the challenges of running a festival in the midst of a pandemic. Festival organizer Drew Heyes spoke about the difficulties in predicting ticket sales, with many members of the public hoping the event hasn’t sold out and door sales making it hard to plan.
It’s a tough time for music festivals, and our hearts go out to the organizers and fans of Play On The Plains and Ninch Fest. Let’s hope that we’ll be able to come together and enjoy live music again soon.