The Grass Is Greener festival organiser to be liquidated with $3 million debts

Creditors including multiple suppliers and contractors of a failed music festival will likely get nothing after the company behind The Grass is Greener was wound up with debts of over $3 million.

Hand Picked Events and Marketing went into administration late last year after low ticket sales for its shows in Cairns and Geelong left the company without enough funds to pay the artists booked to play.

While there had then been hopes that a deed of company arrangement would result in some money being recouped, with artists cancelling their appearances, administrators officially liquidating the company.

The Grass Is Greener festival had been set to go ahead throughout October last year on the Gold Coast, Canberra, Cairns and Geelong.

However, in early October, headliners Ty Dolla $ign, ZHU and Mary Jane Coles and Australian act ONEFOUR pulled out.

Sole director Oliver Frost said he appreciated how hard suppliers and staff had worked to build the festivals, telling The Gold Coast Bulletin “prior to Covid, we had put on successful music events for six years and our intention was to continue to expand on these great experiences for fans and artists.

“Unfortunately, spiralling costs following Covid, coupled with unforeseen extreme weather conditions and an already tough environment for the live entertainment and hospitality industries, greatly contributed to this outcome.

“It was never our intention to do anything other than create a festival that had a positive economic impact for our community - including for staff and suppliers, many of which are friends - and the artists involved.”

Administrators found that Frost had used substantial funds from the festival to prop up a number of his other business ventures with interest free loans, which will now not be paid back.

Among the total debts $158,340 is owed to the Australian Taxation Office, while $120,900 is owed to ticket holders.

BCR Advisory was appointed as liquidators on 9th December last year with Hand Picked officially entering liquidation as of 17th July.