The promoters of the NYE Water Festival event, which its young promoters now infamously cancelled just six hours before it was set to launch at Wet’n’Wild Sydney, will be forced to refund a reported $1 million to angry ticket-holders after attempting to move the failed event to Australia Day.
The sold-out festival boasted a lineup that included DJs Will Sparks, Tigerlily, and Yolanda Be Cool, and saw many punters drive interstate, booking hotels and other accommodation to attend the event, until unspecified “technical production issues” saw almost 9000 people without NYE plans.
After a massive backlash from punters on social media, promoter One Cube Entertainment told ticket-holders that they would be refunding the $110-200 ticket cost instead of offering alternative events, which according to the event’s Facebook included plans for Wet’n’Wild on Australia Day.
“We would like to announce that we will be refunding all tickets sold for New Years Eve at Wet ‘N’ Wild Sydney,” promoters said in a statement. “Please refer to your place of purchase for refunds from Thursday 2nd January 2014. There will also be a customer hotline which will be operational shortly. We would like to sincerely apologise to all patrons that have been inconvenienced.”
According to The Daily Telegraph, the announcement came after NSW Fair Trading Minister Stuart Ayres and his team spent NYE tracking down promoters One Cube, who consist of Sydney EDM promoters Nikola Alavanja and Diego Tobar, who run the Trashbags nightclub in Oxford St.
“It was about letting people know that the promoter couldn’t contract out of refunding the money – you cannot postpone New Year’s Eve,” Mr Ayres told The Daily Telegraph. According to the paper, the promoters could potentially also face millions in compensation claims from disappointed fans.
The promoters and business partner, the Hong Kong-born Eric Woo, were unresponsive to media contact yesterday. The mother of a partner in a separate venture told the Telegraph, “I couldn’t believe those young boys were involved in such a big event. They were totally out of their depth.”
(Via The Daily Telegraph)
Gallery: 10 Weakest Excuses For Last-Minute Gig Cancellations (And 1 Way To Do It Right)
Weakest Excuses For Cancelling Gigs Last Minute
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Death Grips
THE NO SHOW WAS THE SHOW: Death Grips' Lollapalooza 2013 after party was set to go off, but the band simply never showed up. Fans were expecting the band at any moment but when venue staff broke the bad news shit got cray, an onstage drumkit was destroyed as the band's album played and an odd suicide note was projected on stage. The band now claim the lack of a performance WAS the performance. Weak. -
Celine Dion
HURT FEELINGS: In 1997, Celine Dion cancelled a gig in Nova Scotia because local media kept taking the piss out of her. "When an artist comes to a place to entertain, the artist hopes people are happy," husband/manager Rene Angelil said, "I couldn't understand that negative reaction." -
Flo Rida
SLEPT IN: After putting up some serious money to book Flo Rida in 2011, you can understand Fat As Butter's frustration when their headlining act told them moments before he was meant to take the stage that he slept in and would be unable to perform. -
Joe Strummer
BEARDY FITNESS: In 1982, Joe Strummer did a runner after the Clash's 'Combat Rock' was released, either as a publicity stunt or a power play. The band's UK tour was cancelled, and Strummer was later discovered in France, having grown a beard and run the Paris Marathon. -
Bieber
TOO DAMN SEXY: Earlier this year, our good mate Justin Bieber cancelled a gig in Oman after Muslim leaders in the Islamic country deemed him "too sexy", being labelled a "reprobate" in the process. -
Kings Of Leon
AVIAN COPROPHAGIA: During a gig in St Louis in 2010, Kings Of Leon were bombarded with poo after disturbing birds in the rafters. Three songs in, the band quit, with Nathan Followill tweeting that "a bird shat in Jared's mouth". -
Azealia Banks
DIVA PARANOIA: Whether it's because The Stone Roses sound guy messed up her set at Future Music Festival 2013 or "technical issues" at Splendour In The Grass 2013, it doesn't take much for Azealia Banks to drop a performance, and blame those around her for it. -
Morrissey
SENSITIVE NOSE: Morrissey fans almost deem it a right of passage to have the man cancel their gig. "I can smell burning flesh ... and I hope to God it's human," said Moz during his Coachella set in 2009. Halfway through 'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others', Morrissey decided he'd had enough and walked off stage. -
Oasis
BROTHER'S TIFF: In 2009, Oasis cancelled their Rock en Seine festival gig just one minute before going on stage - yet another spat between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher was the final straw, Noel quitting the band effective immediately. -
Supafest
NO EXCUSE AT ALL: Lack of an excuse is far weaker than any weak excuse. With Supafest artists in previous years not performing, claiming they never confirmed and/or hiding in bathrooms to avoid performances, it was clear organisers had some explaining to do. This year, the entire festival was cancelled just a week out from launch day, and organisers are yet to give any solid reason as to why it all fell apart. -
Motley Crue
THE GOOD GUYS: Motley Crue cancelled a show in New York earlier this year due to dangerous weather conditions. Fair enough. But when the band learned that a fan had flown all the way from Japan to see the gig, Nikki Sixx flew the dude to Atlantic City for their next show, putting him up in a hotel as well. Class.
