Downpour in Australia brings festival to a halt

Day one of Australia’s biggest music festival has been called off over rain.

Thousands went to Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay, New South Wales, on Thursday, but sodden ground turned into a mud pit, forcing them to sleep in their cars.

Organisers said they had “decided to err on the side of caution and cancel performances on the main stages” for Friday, which was due to feature Gorillaz. Attendees, many of whom paid $500 (£415) for a three-day camping ticket, said they were given no updates as they waited for hours.