Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Perth music fans have vented their frustration over news Laneway Festival will not be returning west in 2027.
On Monday, the popular Aussie touring festival announced it had made the “disappointing” decision to drop regular tour stops Perth and Adelaide from its circuit schedule.
“To our Adelaide and Perth friends, we know this will be disappointing. In 2027, Laneway will be taking a break in your cities,” a social media post read.
“For over two decades, we’ve had the pleasure of bringing Laneway to Australia and New Zealand, with stints in Singapore and Detroit too. Running so many shows, so close together, across so much ground is a logistical feat we are proud of, but it also asks a lot of our lineup and crew.”
The festival took a forced break in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID, but had otherwise not skipped Perth since 2009, or Adelaide since 2008.
“Taking a pause allows us to focus on making the festival the best it can be, while freeing up time for more artists to bring headline shows to cities beyond our festival stops,” the update continued.
“Adelaide and Perth, we love you! We are incredibly grateful to every single person who has shown up for us over the years.This isn’t goodbye, just see you soon.”
The “unfair” development was met with a chorus of condemnation from music lovers across the country who were still mourning the loss of Splendour in the Grass, which was canned weeks after tickets to its 2025 event became available, and Groovin the Moo, which blamed low ticket sales for taking a hiatus across 2024 and 2025 before returning for a single-day event in NSW in May 2026.
“WE ARE ALREADY SUFFERING PLEASE DON’T MAKE US SUFFER ANYMORE,” one person wrote.
“This is really disappointing — performing arts in Australia is in crisis,” another added.
However, WA fans were a little more pointed with their decries.
“Sending hate from Perth,” a local fan commented.
“No Perth because it’s a logistical nightmare but going to Auckland 🤣,” one other added.
Some Aussie fans felt their mates in WA and SA should not suffer due to their remoteness after proving they show up to such events in numbers.
One wrote: “This is so disappointing! I am very privileged that I live in Melbourne, a city where live music is accessible. However some of my best friends live in Adelaide and Perth and look forward to your festival every year because solo tours often skip those states (and idk why cause I went to a concert in perth last year and you guys went HARD!!!). disappointing laneway team…”
Another local fan went as far as to say he would boycott future shows, should the festival return, and encouraged others to do so.
“If you don’t come to Perth I’m never going to attend again in the future and I’ll make sure no one else does 🙏🏼,” he said.
Laneway’s 2026 line-up was headlined by Chappell Roan, supported by global stars PinkPantheress and Role Model.
The year prior featured Charli xcx and Olivia Dean, with the likes of Stormzy, Fred Again.., and Billie Eilish just some of the big names to have taken the festival’s stage in the past ten years.
Among the developments was the festival’s the decision to relocate the Queensland event back to Brisbane in 2027 after trialling the Gold Coast in February 2026.
A line-up announcement for the 2027 national tour is said to be “loading”.
It remains to be seen if WA or SA events will be scheduled for 2028.
PerthNow has reached out to Laneway Festival for further comment.
