Future Music Festival isn’t coming back

Future Music has become the latest festival to hit the chopping block, with Mushroom Group announcing 2015 was the last ever run.

Mushroom Group, which partnered with Future Music in August 2013, cited ailing ticket sales for the last two festivals as the reason.

Mushroom Group Chairman Michael Gudinski said: “The decision to discontinue Future Music Festival was not made lightly. A point came though where it simply no longer made sense to continue.  We believe in the festival industry in Australia and plan to announce an exciting new festival concept in the coming months.”
 
Mushroom Group also said it believes the days of large scale touring festivals "in its current form is unfortunately numbered".

Soundwave festival made headlines earlier this year when its promoter AJ Maddah dubbed sales of Soundwave’s Adelaide leg "pathetic" and made the decision not to return to the city next year. The heavy music juggernaut will also return to its one-day format in 2016. In June last year Big Day Out's owner C3 Presents announced the rite-of-passge festival would not return this year and Warped festival's 2014 run was axed.

Future Music made the decision to cancel its Asia leg this year after the Singapore Government turned down its application to hold the festival there for the first time.

Future Music posted the following statement on Facebook along with a wrap-up video of highlights: "It’s been a difficult decision to make but in the end travelling the festival in its current form across Australia simply doesn’t make financial sense anymore. We want to thank you all for your support over the years – we’re grateful for all the unforgettable times we’ve shared together."

Mushroom Group, which operates promoter Frontier Touring, festival brand A Day On The Green, under 18s event Good Life and boutique festival Sugar Mountain, has said it is developing "a new festival concept, which is planned for the same time period previously held by Future Music Festival."

Photo Credit: Ken Leanfore