By 3 News online staff
The Big Day Out festival has been axed for 2015 in New Zealand and Australia.
Festival owners C3 Presents told the New Zealand Herald there would not be a Big Day Out next year, but that it would return in the future.
"C3 Presents is proud to own Big Day Out, one of the most iconic and established festival brands in the world," the company said in a statement.
"While we intend to bring back the festival in future years, we can confirm there will not be a Big Day Out in 2015. We love working on BDO and are excited about the future."
Big Day Out NZ promoter Campbell Smith has tweeted his disappointment at the cancellation.
"A real shame for Auckland and NZ after an awesome 2014 gig, but we will be back," he wrote.
The New Zealand leg of the Big Day Out was cancelled in 2013 due to low turnout in 2012. It returned this year boasting a line-up that included Pearl Jam and Snoop Dogg.
The future of the festival appeared in doubt earlier this year, as Australian shows generated huge losses and infighting amongst the tour's owners and promoters.
Losses were between $8 and $15 million and there were rumours of inflated attendance records and contractors going unpaid.
One source told the Sydney Morning Herald the only show which had sold more than 30,000 tickets was Auckland, with crowds in Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast barely half what they were in 2013.
The Australian shows were handled partly by controversial promoter AJ Maddah, who has since stepped down and transferred ownership back to C3 Presents.
3 News
source: newshub archive
