The highly anticipated Pump House Sessions music festival, set to take place at the Carrington Pump House in November, has been cancelled.
Organisers of the two day event says the decision follows the rescinding of a license agreement by the Port of Newcastle, despite the festival organizers having secured all necessary compliance and safety approvals.
“Despite a detailed and collaborative planning process involving government agencies and the Port of Newcastle, the Port of Newcastle has decided to rescind the license agreement. This decision was based on feedback they received from certain local businesses and tenants of the Port. Unfortunately, none of this feedback was shared with us for consideration or response,” a statement from the organisers reads.
The festival intended to celebrate Newcastle’s thriving music scene by showcasing local artists in a unique outdoor setting, but these plans have now been dashed.
The sudden withdrawal of the license has not only cancelled the event but also left the organisers facing significant financial losses.
“Launching an event of this scale involves substantial time and financial commitment. The Port of Newcastle’s sudden reversal has led to unrecoverable financial losses for us as organizers. At a time when the live music industry—particularly outdoor events—is facing immense challenges, such a decision significantly impacts our already fragile corner of the industry”.
Organisers say that tickets sales were strong, with both days on track to sell out and the cancellation is an example of the broader challenges faced by the live music industry, particularly outdoor events, which have struggled in recent years.
Refunds will be issued to ticket holders, minus booking fees, which will be retained by the ticketing agency. You can read the full statement on the festival’s Facebook page.
UPDATE 23 OCTOBER 2024 1:23PM:
A Port of Newcastle spokesperson has released the following statement.
We have heard the community loud and clear, and we recognise and understand their frustration and disappointment at the cancellation of the Pumphouse Sessions event at Carrington.
However, the statement put out by the Pumphouse event organisers is factually incorrect. While Port of Newcastle had been corresponding with Pumphouse about the November event, there was never a signed licence agreement in place.
Community consultation began with a letterbox drop approximately four weeks before the scheduled event date, and many recipients contacted Port of Newcastle with concerns about the lack of information provided, and safety of the proposed event.
The service of alcohol coupled with large crowds of people at the entrance to a major operational port, which includes heavy truck and rail movements, present safety concerns that outweigh the benefits of this event to port users and the community.
Port of Newcastle’s assessment of the risks, coupled with feedback from port users and community, informed our decision to not proceed with the event for attendees and anyone adjacent to the port.
Safety is, and always will be, our highest priority, the Pumphouse music event isn’t an exception to that.
While there are lessons we have learned from this experience, we are steadfast in our commitment to the safety of our community and maintain that the right decision has been made.
