Southbound's Busselton days numbered

The director of Southbound says a change in format has helped revive ticket sales this year but the event’s days in Busselton are numbered.

Dave Chitty told the Times he believed the decision to allow festival-goers to camp next to their vehicles for the first time this year was partly responsible for an improvement in ticket sales.

Mr Chitty said camping tickets sold out on Christmas Day and the remaining tickets were expected to sell out this week.

“There will be some challenges that present to us with a sold-out event and the new camping system, but we have done everything we can to make it as good as we possibly can, ” he said.

But increasing development around the festival site meant Southbound would eventually be forced to move elsewhere, Mr Chitty said.

“While we have a good relationship with our neighbours and work closely with the City to minimise the impact of noise, there eventually comes a time where it’s harder and harder as the area becomes more built up around the site, ” he said.

“When we started 11 years ago there weren’t any houses there. We don’t have any problems with anyone, but the event and the town have both developed.

“It’s no one’s fault. It’s just a natural progression. We’re not looking to do anything to 4am, but around the world it’s accepted these things go on later than 10pm for those who want that.”

In September, Southbound organisers withdrew an application to stage the festival near Cosy Corner in the Augusta Margaret River Shire after community concern about holding a large event at the location.

At the time, Mr Chitty said the idea of a permanent home on a South West farm as per other events on the east coast was still “very appealing” and they would continue to investigate alternative locations for the long-term future.

Southbound takes place at Sir Stewart Bovell Park tomorrow and Sunday. This year’s line-up features Bluejuice, Cold War Kids, Empire of the Sun, Vance Joy, John Butler Trio and others.