No Big Day Out for 2006?

The dislocation of the Melbourne leg of the Big Day Out may be placing the entire 2006 run of the festival in jeopardy. The traditional home of BDO in Melbourne, The Royal Showgrounds, are currently undergoing re-developments, which will not be finished in time for the January festival.

According to an article in The Age newspaper, organisers have been frantically searching for an alternative site, with many possibilities ruled out due to Melbourne’s hosting of the 2006 Commonwealth games. Festival organisers Vivian Lees and Ken West have applied to the Melbourne City Council for a grant to hold the event in the Princess Gardens in Carlton, just near Optus Oval (see map of the proposed area).

“If the Melbourne City Council knocks this back, then there definitely won’t be a Victorian show and we’d have to seriously consider canceling the whole tour because of the financial cost of losing Melbourne in the middle of the tour,” Mr. West is quoted as saying. “We’ve looked everywhere, but there really is no ‘plan B’ for an alternative Melbourne venue.”

Local resident groups have raised concerns to suggestion and a decision will be made by Melbourne City Council’s planning and environment committee next Tuesday. The article states that committee member Fraser Brindley believes there is a “good chance” that permission to use the site will be approved for next year only, due to the lack of alternative sites.

Should the proposal be approved, the Melbourne Big Day Out will take place on January 29 between 11am and 11pm.

The article also reveals that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had been slated in for the tour, but have pulled out due to delays to the release date of their new album.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)