The team behind Splendour in the Grass are launching a new music festival in 2021
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26.11.2020

The team behind Splendour in the Grass are launching a new music festival in 2021

Photo by Claudia Ciapocha
Words by Tom Parker

The festival juggernaut just received $1.5 million as part of the federal government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) fund.

Secret Sounds Group, the team behind Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival, have received $1.5 million to help them develop a new festival in 2021.

The grant comes as part of the federal government’s Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) fund, to which 28 organisations in NSW are to share in $17.8 million. The fund was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and aims to reignite the events sector that’s been ravaged by the calamities of 2020.

As The Age reports, Secret Sounds have remained tight-lipped as to how the money will be used, with the company’s co-chief executive Jessica Ducrou simply sharing her gratitude for the recognition. She did however allude to an “exciting innovative project we look forward to launching in 2021”.

The government echoed Ducrou’s anticipation, saying the funds would contribute to the “development of a festival that would keep audiences connected while also reaching new audiences across Australia and overseas”.

The organisers of Byron Bay Bluesfest have received $1 million as part of RISE to help them run their April 2021 event in a COVID-safe fashion. The fund will also help the festival juggernaut rebuild after what has been a difficult eight months for the beloved event. The festival was scheduled to run in April 2020 but with COVID-19 hitting a month earlier that was not possible, so the event was cancelled.

Looking locally, 48 Victorian projects will share in more than $20 million in funding as part of the RISE fund. The Melbourne Theatre Company is one of the largest recipients and will receive $1.2 million.

RISING, the new Melbourne festival from the team behind Dark Mofo arriving in winter 2021, will receive just under $1.5 million while the Malthouse Theatre will receive $550,000. Melbourne Fringe is another recipient – they will be supported to the tune of $275,000.

This is just a sample of the Victorian recipients, with more projects and organisations to be announced in the coming weeks.

Find out more about Victoria’s portion the RISE fund here.

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