Perth band launches own festival after Laneway and others cancel WA dates

Local Perth band Free Aviary is taking matters into its own hands and launching its own music festival, Lift Off, after several major touring festivals cancelled their Western Australian dates. The decision comes on the back of Laneway, Strummingbird, and Froth and Fury Fest cutting Perth dates for 2027.

“Artists and big festivals always skip out on Perth, either because it's too far or too much money and for a fair reason sometimes,” lead singer Tom Stokes said. “But it almost hurts us because our local music scene is so strong and those big festivals are the ones that bring those big artists to us.”

West Australian Music CEO Owen Whittle said the local music scene was better off creating its own festivals. “In WA, we can't rely on touring festivals and we can't rely on people building it for us,” he said. “The only way we're going to have large festivals is if they're grown out of our state and that we own them and that they're uniquely West Australian.”

Logistical, financial challenges

Laneway, which has been touring to Perth since 2009, is one of the biggest dates in the state's music calendar. However, festival co-founder Danny Rogers said it pained him to leave Perth and Adelaide off the bill in 2027. “We try and deliver the same level show in Perth, but it's just been really challenging to just make it stack up financially,” he said.

Rogers cited the high costs of freighting gear and flying artists over to Perth, which added an extra $1 million to the festival's expenses. He also noted that the 2027 dates would have clashed with the Grammys, making it logistically difficult to re-route the tour.

Ticket sales are also a concern, with Rogers stating that Laneway sold 50,000 tickets in Melbourne and Sydney last year, but only 21,000 in Perth. “We just absolutely love doing what we do, but getting a bit of support would probably go a really long way to helping us get back to Perth,” he said.

Dim future for Australian festivals

Australian Festivals Association CEO Lizzie Butterworth said COVID's long tail and shifting audience behaviours are creating a “mixed bag” of festival success in Australia. She noted that Perth audiences tend to buy tickets later due to festivals being less likely to sell out, making it more risky for promoters.

Butterworth highlighted the resilience of the local music scene, but also noted that the cost of producing events is rising, making it harder for promoters to break even.

Laneway backs local idea

Free Aviary's Mr Stokes said the Lift Off festival, to be held on February 20 at the Ice Cream Factory in Perth, had already drummed up support within the music community. “It's so cool, it almost feels like every aspect of the music scene and Perth is sort of coming together,” he said.

Rogers, who started Laneway with Jerome Borazio in an alleyway in 2005, drew parallels between the origins of his festival and Free Aviary's idea. He said he hoped their festival succeeded and might even spawn something new and exciting.