Festival sellout defies the odds
The promoter behind the Gold Coast’s next sold-out festival says he “can’t wait” to bring it back to the city in future years, despite the industry being plagued with cancellations.
Ultra Beach Gold Coast music festival will be coming to Broadwater Parklands on Friday for the first time.
DJs from across the globe will be playing at the festival, with headliners Zedd, Armin van Buuren, Steve Aoki and homegrown star Will Sparks.
Ultra Australia promoter Travis Grech said he was confident the high-profile line-up was the reason for the festival’s success.
“2024 is shaping up to be our biggest year yet, at a time that has proven to be extremely challenging for festivals in this market, we believe our consumers have confidence in our brand,” he said.
“We have continuously delivered seamless events with high profile line-ups and patrons know what they can expect from an Ultra production.
“We are looking forward to delivering lots more events in the Gold Coast in the future.”
It comes as Australia’s biggest festival, Splendour in the Grass, was cancelled on March 27.
Regional gigs such as Groovin the Moo, Falls Festival, Dark Mofo, Coastal Jam, Goomfest and ValleyWays were all scrapped or indefinitely postponed as the industry grapples with the cost of living crisis.
Gold Coast DJ Will Sparks said he was “grateful” for the response and “love shown” to him in his hometown: “We all can’t be more grateful for the people supporting our livelihoods.
“This is what we do and I promise it will be worth it.”
Sparks said he was “humbled” to be sharing the stage with the rest of the line-up and was “excited” to watch his good mate Darren Styles.
Dutch DJ and record producer Armin van Buuren said he was “looking forward to reconnecting with my Aussie fans”.
“I’ve had the pleasure of performing (on the Gold Coast) a few times throughout my career, though it’s been a while,” Buuren said.