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Rolling Loud Australia Cancelled Following Promoter Dispute
March3
The Australian editions of the Rolling Loud hip hop festival, scheduled to take place in Sydney and Melbourne this weekend, have been cancelled, with the US-based festival brand and its local promoter publicly disputing the reasons behind the decision.
Conflicting Accounts Over Payment Deadlines
In a statement issued on Friday, Rolling Loud said it was “really disappointed” that the event’s return to Australia had been called off at short notice. The company stated that its local partner, Singapore-based Primuse Entertainment, had “failed to meet critical payment deadlines and related obligations”.
According to Rolling Loud, those delays left the organiser “without the necessary guarantees so close to the event”, adding that it would not “compromise the safety or experience of our fans, artists and vendors”.
Primuse Entertainment issued its own statement confirming the cancellations but disputing aspects of Rolling Loud’s account. The promoter said it was “extremely disappointed” by the outcome and “does not accept certain aspects of the characterisation set out in Rolling Loud’s statement”.
“While there are differing views regarding the circumstances that led to this outcome,” Primuse said, “we stand firmly by the manner in which we have conducted ourselves throughout this process. Primuse acted in good faith throughout and made reasonable efforts to deliver a successful event for fans, artists and partners.”
Background and Market Context
The hip hop-focused Rolling Loud brand launched in Miami in 2015 and has since expanded across multiple US cities and international markets. An Australian edition was previously staged in 2019. Plans to return in 2024 were postponed, with the 2026 dates announced in October last year.
This year’s Australian line-up was set to include Gunna, Ken Carson, Sexyy Red and Tyga, with shows planned for Sydney’s Centennial Park and Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse.
Focus Turns to Refunds
It remains unclear whether the dispute between Rolling Loud and Primuse Entertainment will result in legal proceedings. Primuse said its immediate priority is supporting ticket holders and working with relevant parties to ensure refunds are processed as efficiently as possible.
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