Event organisers pull the pin on a major Aussie music festival

A major Australian music festival has been cancelled in another blow to the industry that has seen the loss of several events in recent years. Event organisers of the The Birdsville Big Red Bash are taking a hiatus in 2025 as the team take a break after 11 years of holding the event in Australia’s outback. The music festival is held in the remote Queensland town of Birdsville, more than 1500kms east of Brisbane, which attracts about 10,000 revellers and caravanners from across the nation who travel to the town each year to take part in the festivity. This year the event featured more than 30 Australian artists including Tina Arena, Jon Stevens, Tim Finn, Ian Moss and the Baby Animals. “As the most remote music festival in the world, building our mini desert city from scratch each year is a massive undertaking,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “After 11 massive years, it’s time for a well-deserved break – think of it like a gap year after 12 years of school, “Just like Glastonbury’s ‘Fallow Year’, we’re taking a pause to come back even stronger. “We know this might be a letdown for those planning to attend in 2025 and for businesses in Outback Queensland that benefit from the event. That’s why we wanted to give you plenty of notice.” The spokesperson said the event would be back in 2026, and asked festival goers to save the date for July 7 to 9, 2026. “The Birdsville Big Red Bash will be back, refreshed, and ready to Rock the Simpson once again.”