Organisers for Bluesfest, one of the country's most popular music festivals, have backed down on a controversial decision to introduce paid parking at this year's event, months after fans described the move as "greedy".
The $50-a-day parking fee was announced late last year, sending those who had already bought tickets into an uproar. The measure meant some festivalgoers could have been forced to pay as much as $250 on top of their existing ticket price.
Bluesfest has backed down on a controversial paid-parking initiative for this year’s festival. Credit:Edwina Pickles
"As the last major live music event within the region to introduce a parking fee, Bluesfest understands that it imposes a further cost for patrons," she said. "However, as a business, the company needs to ensure the future of the festival.
"Bluesfest encourages patrons travelling to the festival to consider the environment when making the trip to Byron Bay and to car pool or use public transport where possible."
When angry festivalgoers last year flood Bluesfest's Facebook page with complaints over parking fees, the festival responded by saying it spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on subsidising parking officials and traffic management. The award-winning, five-day event has also signalled it wishes to reduce its carbon footprint.
Earlier this month, the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal upheld a customer's claim that he was entitled to a refund because he wasn't told about the extra parking fee at the time he bought the tickets.
This year, the festival – in its 30th year – will feature artists such as Jack Johnson, Iggy Pop, Paul Kelly, Tash Sultana and Kasey Chambers.
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