Coastal Jam's January festival has been cancelled due to the significant challenges currently faced by boutique music festivals.
In a devastating turn of events, Coastal Jam 2024 has been cancelled.
The announcement, delivered with heavy hearts by the organisers, comes as a considerable blow to the festival-loving community eagerly anticipating a stellar lineup featuring headliners Lime Cordiale, Austin Millz, Bryce Vine, and more which were set to light up the Mornington Peninsula’s Rosebud Village Green on January 13.
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Originally designed to be the pinnacle of Victoria’s beachside festivals, Coastal Jam aimed to deliver a sun-soaked escape with a killer soundtrack, uniting music lovers on the iconic Mornington Peninsula. The lineup promised a musical feast, blending beloved local artists with international sensations to create an unforgettable experience for the anticipated 5,000 festival goers.
Despite the upbeat anticipation and careful planning, the organisers faced insurmountable challenges, leading to the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event. The cancellation, detailed in a video on Coastal Jam’s Instagram, explained the immense risks involved due to the current cost of living crisis and late purchasing behaviours from festival goers.
“This decision has not been made lightly and I’m sure you can imagine has stemmed from a few reasons. As an independent promoter/small business, it comes with a host of significant challenges at the best of times. And we currently aren’t even close to the best of times,” event organiser Adam Metwally explains.
“Everyone that I know has been feeling the sting of the cost of living crisis and one of the consequences of this has been a much slower than usual and very much last minute sales for boutique events like Coastal Jam, as we only have enough money for a few things now, naturally leading to the major festivals, massive international tours being the priority which I fully understand.
“Unfortunately it’s led to smaller boutique festivals and events such as ours to fall by the wayside.
“I did everything I could to keep ticket prices as low as possible while also trying to put together a solid lineup with the core Coastal Jam ethos in mind: to bring a world-class, fun, light-hearted parties to locations across the beautiful Victorian coastline over summer.”
“But sadly it wasn’t enough this time to warrant commitment to buying tickets earlier to allow us to justify pushing forward. As we take [sic] pop-up music festivals, the concept is very expensive to run and there’s minimal upside at the best of times. It’s been something that we’ve done for the love and desire to keep serving the coastal region as best we can.
“Because the reality this year is that there’s a pretty significant chance that if we did continue and didn’t sell enough tickets, it would result in a potentially catastrophic loss that could ruin everything. And I’d like to avoid that if possible.
“I’ve tried everything I could think of to try and steer the ship back in the right direction, and I have to make the call, but nothing I have come up with has worked. I’m sorry for letting people down.”
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Acknowledging the disappointment this news brings to fans, Coastal Jam presented alternative options for ticket holders:
Option 1: Partial Refund with Alternative Event
Ticket holders have the option to receive a partial refund, reducing the ticket cost to $50 + BF, and attend the alternative event at Portsea Hotel on Saturday, 13th January, featuring Circa Trax, OURFRIEND, and Coastal Jam Presents Set Mo, Ashley James, and more.
Option 2: Ticket Credit for Future Event
Opting to leave the ticket as credit for a future festival hosted by Coastal Jam, even if the ticket price is higher or the event is sold out.
Option 3: Full Refund
For those unable or unwilling to attend the alternative event or keep the ticket as credit, a full refund is offered. All VIP and bus tickets will be fully refunded.
Ticket holders are requested to fill out the form on the Coastal Jam website by January 12 to select their preferred option. Failure to do so will automatically result in the ticket becoming credit for a future event.
The organisers expressed deep regret for the cancellation, assuring fans that every effort had been made to bring the festival to fruition. Despite the setback, Coastal Jam remains committed to delivering outstanding events in the future and appreciates the continued support from the community.
While Coastal Jam 2024 may not grace Rosebud Village Green this year, the music-loving community remains hopeful for a triumphant return in the future.
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