Warped Tour Australia's 2014 Return In Doubt

Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah has revealed via Twitter that his other project, the Vans Warped Tour Australia, which he resurrected in 2013, is unlikely to return this year. His comments come following months of speculation regarding the event, which saw lacklustre attendance in some cities.

Asked by a Twitter follower if there was a chance that the Vans Warped Tour would return in 2014, Maddah replied grimly, “looking unlikey for this year.” Back in February, Maddah expressed optimism at a 2014 return, but said it was pending approval of Warped Tour boss Kevin Lyman.

Maddah explained to one fan that he would “go see the boss in April” and the two would then decide whether or not to go ahead with a 2014 instalment. Around the same time, Maddah confirmed that if Warped were to return, it would be without the inclusion of the Canberra and Coffs Harbour legs.

“Sadly the attendance last year was very poor. So I’m afraid [we won’t return to Canberra],” explained Maddah via Twitter. Regarding the Coffs Harbour event, Maddah called it “an attendance disaster,” later adding, “You can’t put on an outdoor show with $90 tickets for 1800 people.”

Despite these comments, Maddah remained optimistic about the future of the punk and metal event, and suggested potential changes for a 2014 instalment, including pushing the dates back by a week and moving the event’s Sydney leg to a new location. Maddah even speculated on lineup choices.

Just last month Maddah took to Twitter to tell fans that he is “quite confident” Warped Australia would go ahead in 2014, but said an Adelaide event would not happen. He once again mentioned talks with Kevin Lyman, which, according to his new dispatch, do not seem to have gone well.

Gallery: Vans Warped Tour Australia 2013 – Barangaroo, Sydney 01/12/13

Photos by Ashley Mar