Big Day Out Unlikely To Return In 2016

Australian promotor AJ Maddah has revealed that the Big Day Out is unlikely to go ahead in 2016 due to the "pissweak" Australian dollar combined with the "general availability of bankable headliners". The Big Day Out was founded in 1992 by Ken West and Vivian Lees, who were joined by Maddah in 2013. He is probably best known as the man behind Soundwave festival, which was first established in 2004. The promotor dropped the statement in a brief Twitter exchange with an ABC news reporter, adding that the Big Day Out will likely return at 2017 at the earliest. This is at odds with his comments last year that the festival would be coming back in 2016.
 

@stephaniiimedia With the pissweak state of the AUD$ and general availability of bankable headliners I would guess 2017 at earliest.

— AJ (@iamnotshouting) April 28, 2015

The last Big Day Out was in January 2014, with the New Zealand leg taking place at the newfound home of Western Springs and was headlined by Snoop Dog, Pearl Jam and Arcade Fire.

American festival producer C3 Presents (who run iconic Lollapalooza among others) attained full ownership of Big Day Out in mid-2014, but AJ Maddah has previously stated he still has a hand in the festival.