Update: Totem OneLove have confirmed that Stereosonic will not take place in 2016, although they are planning a return in 2017. A statement on Facebook reads:
Totem Onelove Group is currently working on bringing Stereosonic fans the best festival experience possible. As part of this, we are taking a hiatus during 2016. However, we will return in 2017, bigger and better. We will see you soon!
While we’re still very much in the early stages of 2016, rumours have surfaced that Australia’s largest dance festival, Stereosonic has been canned in 2016.
The news has been reported by The Daily Telegraph, who suggest that the mega event has been scrapped due to two deaths and several other overdoses at last year’s national run. The festival, which treks across Australia in November and December, has hosted hundreds of dance heavy-hitters including Major Lazer, Calvin Harris and Tiesto. While it was known for it’s global house and electro headliners, Stereosonic also dedicated stages to bass, techno, house and more niche sections of electronica.
In 2015, Stereosonic reverted back to a one-day format after previously expanding the event into a two-day affair, while owners SFX recently filed for bankruptcy in the US. The news follows the end of fellow high-profile event Future Music Festival in 2015, and growing concerns about drug-related deaths at music events both in Australia and internationally.
While there’s far from confirmation about the end of Stereosonic, we hope that the event can continue and provide a safe environment for Australian punters to witness world-class acts onstage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI–VAZ9zLk
