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Festival Branded 'Catastrophic' As Shocking Footage Shows Campers Struggling To Escape As Area Is Flooded
Featured Image Credit: @bigthiccieee/TikTok

Festival Branded 'Catastrophic' As Shocking Footage Shows Campers Struggling To Escape As Area Is Flooded

Festival goers have spoken out about 'catastrophic' Splendour in the Grass after extreme weather caused absolute chaos.

Festival goers have spoken out about 'catastrophic' Splendour in the Grass after extreme weather caused absolute chaos.

Returning for the first time in two years to Byron Bay, New South Wales, 2022's Splendour in the Grass festival had music fans raring to go.

Having expanded its capacity from 35,000 to 50,000, queues into the festival climbed over 15 hours according to one festival goer.

However, music lovers didn't realise they would be queuing for an event which would turn 'catastrophic' as a result of extreme weather conditions, with a flurry of social media posts online having since revealed just how bogged down Splendour in the Grass got.

On day two, Friday, 22 July, Splendour in the Grass also announced it would be cancelling all performances on the main stage.

Performances included the likes of headliners Gorillaz and the Avalanches who many had travelled far and wide - and queued up for 15 plus hours - to see.

The Guardian's Nathan Jolly - who attended the festival himself - has accused Splendour in the Grass of having 'no staff on site to lead cars through' as well as there being 'no information from anyone with authority'.

The only recognition of the extreme weather conditions - which hit the festival worst on day two - was a post to social media stating: "The site is weather affected! However, don’t let it wash away your spirit."

Alas, wash away music lover's spirits, it very much did.



Festival goers have since been informed that they can claim back a refund if they were directly affected by the cancellation.

However, it wasn't the disappointment which was the main concern, but the actual physical safety of many attendees battling the swamp-like elements.

"Underplaying the reality of the situation was a constant theme that seemed deceptive at best, and bordered on dangerous," Jolly said.

Many Splendour in the Grass goers have also taken to TikTok to share just how 'confused' the situation was.

One user wrote: "We ended up waiting for a bus out of Splendour in the Grass for six hours last night. By the time we got home, the sun had risen.

"There was no food in the line, people were suffering, you couldn't sit down because of how muddy it was, not to mention the fact that everyone's boots were just soaked.

"The only water that was there was these little cans that were being passed back so people had to literally had to take the tiniest sip and then pass it along."


The user explained how those in the lengthy bus queue all had 'pre-booked tickets' and many people had left before the final act and so had been queueing even longer from 10:30pm.

"They should never have gone ahead with a show they couldn't manage," she concluded.

Others have drawn comparisons between Splendour and Fyre Festival which saw attendees defrauded over 'the greatest party that never happened'.

UNILAD has contacted Splendour in the Grass for comment.

Topics: Music, Weather, Australia