The famous Byron Bay site that played home to Splendour in the Grass since 2013 is being sold.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the North Byron Parklands is expecting to be let go for around $35 million. It’s been reported that the site could be developed into an “ultra-luxury private estate, a wellness retreat, or a boutique eco-development.”
It comes after Rolling Stone AU/NZ exclusively revealed that plans for Splendour returning in 2025 were scrapped for a second consecutive year, with Live Nation saying at the time: “The festivals team has our full support to bring Splendour in the Grass back when they feel it’s right.
“In the meantime, we’re working on exciting new projects to support artists and the industry, while meeting the demands of music fans and look forward to sharing more in the coming months.”
It was hoped by promoters and live music fans that Splendour would return this year. When announcing the 2024 cancellation last March, organisers said: “… due to unexpected events, we’ll be taking the year off. We thank you for your understanding and will be working hard to be back in future years.”
The reported sale has raised questions about the future of Splendour altogether.
“While Splendour in the Grass remains on hiatus, the team is working on exciting new projects,” Live Nation told Rolling Stone AU/NZ in a statement.
“We remain focused on the future of our festival events and will share updates as they develop.”
In a statement given to Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Leon Alaban, head of hotels at Savills Australia and New Zealand, said the site is an “extraordinary offering” for potential buyers.
“The opportunity to own such a vast and strategic landholding in Byron Shire is incredibly rare, making this a once-in-a-generation investment. And with Byron attracting record prices across all asset classes, we expect this exceptional opportunity will demand buyer interest to draw parallels to recent records within the region.”
The news comes just a month after the Lorne location which hosted the Falls Festival was also reported to be on the market.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ understands that both the Victorian site and Marion Bay property in Tasmania are currently on the market.
The status of Falls and whether it will return in 2025 is also currently unclear.
“While Falls Festival remains on hiatus, the team is working on exciting new projects,” a Live Nation spokesperson told Rolling Stone AU/NZ at the time.
“We remain focused on the future of our festival events and will share updates as they develop.”
The Lorne location hosted Falls for nearly three decades, before bushfires and the COVID pandemic forced cancellations in 2019/20 and 2020/2021, respectfully.
