The Big Day Out’s Australian owners are reportedly facing losses of up to A$15 million, placing the festival’s future in jeopardy.
Sydney is believed to have drawn 27,000, Melbourne 26,000 and the Gold Coast 23,000 – about half the number believed to have attended those legs in 2013.
Eddie Vedder on stage with Pearl Jam. Photo: Jason Oxenham/Getty Images
As well as struggling with low ticket sales in Australia, costs for this year’s festival may have been pushed higher following the exit of headliners Blur, who were replaced Beady Eye, The Hives and Deftones.
The festival is promoted in Australia by AJ Maddah and is owned by Maddah and US-based company C3.
Maddah reportedly said that while crowd numbers were lower than expected, they were higher than theage.com.au had been told. He did also acknowledge the Big Day Out had struggled in 2014.
Smith has previously said he’d been granted a five-year consent to have the event at Western Springs.