u/Weeksy77

86 year old man who helped secure $8 million dollars in Government funding for the Thebby doesn't believe the Goverrnment should support festivals.

OK – so in response to a few DMs, I'm going to dump out a few details on what I've heard around the cancellation this year.

Important to note: there was absolute radio silence from the HR team this year compared to previous years, where they were at least a little more chatty in the DMs. That said, I know a few team members are part of the sub, so if they want to anonymously refute any of this, my DMs are open as always, and I'll update accordingly.

Also important: some of this comes from unverified sources (though most are from people who have been on the money in the past), so take all of this with a grain of salt...

• Raye: As initially reported here, Raye was the intended exclusive headliner for HR this year. From the best I can tell, she was booked in the second half of March as the Night 2 headliner. Obviously, that's now been shifted to Spilt Milk. This isn't the Spilt Milk sub, but I did hear rumors that their "main" headliner pulled out, which caused their lineup delay.
• Funding: Live Nation / Secret Sounds were given three years of initial funding with the expectation that they would secure enough corporate backing for future events to minimize the required state government contribution. I'm told sponsorship didn't hit required levels because corporate sponsors were wary of an "Adelaide-only" event. There was a push (either externally or internally) to make HR a multi-state festival, which is a total no-go zone for the State Gov when funding is involved. The shared Strummingbird / HR lineup of 2025 was a way of cutting overall costs.
• State Gov: The initial proposed lineup wasn't going to set the world on fire (as evidenced by most Australian festival lineups so far this year). The State Gov was reluctant to approve another few years of increased funding based on the strength of the pitch—as reflected in their statement at the time: "When the global climate is challenged, less talent reaches around the world; sadly this meant that 2026 was not the right year for Harvest Rock." I'm also told the Gov expects peak-era Splendour / BDO-level headliners without being willing to pay for them, which is insane given the economic boost the first three festivals provided.
• Line-Up: As for who else was supposed to be on the bill, the only other act I'm reasonably confident in is Lily Allen. Whether the critical and audience reaction to her current show played a factor in the State Gov's hesitation, I've got no idea. However, I can't imagine anyone looking at those reviews and immediately hitting the "Sold!" button on her as a headliner or sub-headliner. Other than that—I've got nothing else for ya.
• Future: The unanimous consensus remains that Kicks taking the reins for HR from Secret Sounds is the best decision made for the fest so far, and confidence is high that it will be back.

Take care, all—see ya next time!