Falls Festival

The Falls Festival was an Australian New Year's Eve music festival held annually from 1993 to 2022. Founded as a one-day event called "Rock Above The Falls" in Lorne, Victoria, it grew into a multi-day, multi-location festival spanning Lorne (Victoria), Marion Bay (Tasmania), Byron Bay (NSW), and Fremantle (Western Australia). The last edition ran December 2022 to January 2023 at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, headlined by Arctic Monkeys and Lil Nas X, with supporting acts including Peggy Gou, Jamie xx, Chvrches, Spacey Jane, Amyl and the Sniffers, and Genesis Owusu. The festival has been on hiatus since 2023. As of New Year's Eve 2025, the event has not returned, and festival owner Live Nation has been promoting a replacement dance music event called New Year's At The Bowl.

How Falls Festival Worked (When Active)

Falls Festival ran over New Year's Eve, typically from December 28 or 29 through January 1. The festival operated a multi-site format for much of its history:

1. Lorne, Victoria (1993 to 2018): The original and primary site, held in bushland near the Erskine River. The Lorne edition was the flagship, attracting approximately 16,000 attendees per day. It was cancelled in 2015 due to bushfire threat (moved to Mount Duneed Estate near Geelong) and again in 2019 due to extreme bushfire risk.
2. Marion Bay, Tasmania (2003 to 2019): A simultaneous edition held at Marion Bay in southern Tasmania. Acts rotated between Lorne and Marion Bay on consecutive days. The Tasmanian edition was permanently cancelled in 2021 due to low revenue, ending 17 years of operation.
3. Byron Bay, NSW: A third edition was held in Byron Bay for several years, running concurrently with the Victorian and Tasmanian events.
4. Fremantle, Western Australia: A fourth edition ran in Fremantle for a period.
5. Melbourne (2022): After failing to secure a permanent site in the Lorne area (a proposed move to Murroon/Birregurra was blocked by local residents through a VCAT appeal), the 2022 edition was held at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in inner-city Melbourne.

Tickets were sold through the official Falls Festival website. Pass types included three-day and four-day festival passes, camping passes (for Lorne and Marion Bay), and VIP packages. Prices varied by location, with Lorne camping passes typically ranging from $300 to $450 AUD ($200 to $300 USD).

The festival was organized by Secret Sounds (a Live Nation subsidiary). Festival producer Jessica Ducrou, who co-founded the event, departed Secret Sounds in 2024.

Real-World Example: The Hiatus (2023 to Present)

In May 2023, Secret Sounds announced that Falls Festival would not run for the 2023/24 season. Festival producer Jessica Ducrou stated: "Our team needs a break, so this year we'll take time off to enjoy the holiday period and allow some space to re-imagine how Falls will look in the future." No lineup had been announced prior to the cancellation.

The festival did not return for 2024/25 or 2025/26. As of New Year's Eve 2025, the event has not been staged again. Wikipedia lists the festival's years active as 1993 to 2022. Live Nation has instead been promoting "New Year's At The Bowl," a dance music event at Sidney Myer Music Bowl, as a replacement New Year's Eve offering in Melbourne.

The hiatus reflects broader challenges in the Australian festival market. Multiple festivals cancelled their 2024 editions, including Splendour in the Grass, Groovin the Moo, Harvest Rock, and Spilt Milk. Rising production costs, insurance premiums, extreme weather events, and changing audience habits have all contributed to the contraction of the Australian festival circuit.

The last edition (2022/23) in Melbourne featured Arctic Monkeys, Lil Nas X, Peggy Gou, Jamie xx, Chvrches, Spacey Jane, Amyl and the Sniffers, and Genesis Owusu. The move to an inner-city venue represented a significant departure from the festival's bushland origins, and reviews were mixed regarding the urban setting.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

When operational, Falls Festival was one of Australia's most important platforms for independent and emerging artists. The festival had a 30-year history of programming local acts alongside international headliners. Artists like Tame Impala, Flume, Courtney Barnett, and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard played early-career sets at Falls before achieving international recognition.

For Australian independent artists, a Falls booking meant exposure to 15,000 to 20,000 attendees per day across multiple locations, plus national media coverage through triple j and Australian music publications. The festival's New Year's Eve timing also made it a cultural touchstone for the Australian music community.

The booking process (when the festival was active):

1. The booking team monitored Australian radio play (particularly triple j), streaming data, and touring history.
2. Work with a booking agent who had relationships with Secret Sounds or Live Nation's Australian festival division.
3. Submit through industry channels during the booking window, typically 8 to 10 months before the event.
4. Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track streaming growth in the Australian market.

Potential Drawbacks / Things to Consider

• Current hiatus: The festival has not run since 2022 and no return date has been confirmed. Live Nation appears to have replaced it with New Year's At The Bowl. Do not plan around a Falls booking until an official announcement is made.
• Site instability: The festival lost its original Lorne site, failed to secure a permanent replacement in Murroon, and was forced into an inner-city Melbourne venue for its final edition. The lack of a permanent site was a contributing factor to the hiatus.
• Weather vulnerability: The Lorne edition was cancelled or moved multiple times due to bushfires and extreme weather. December/January is peak summer in Australia, with high bushfire risk in Victoria.
• Multi-location complexity: The simultaneous multi-site format increased production costs and logistical complexity. The loss of the Tasmanian edition in 2021 reduced the festival's national footprint.
• Market contraction: The Australian festival market has contracted significantly since 2023. The viability of large-scale camping festivals in Australia is under serious question, with multiple events cancelling or entering indefinite hiatus.

Monitor the official Falls Festival website for any return announcements.

Related Resources

• Music Festivals Directory - Explore other Australian and international festivals
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming growth in the Australian market
• Tour Revenue Calculator - Plan an Australian tour budget
• 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Festival performances as a revenue stream