When the forecast called for extreme weather conditions across Queensland’s picturesque coastline, organizers of the highly anticipated Long Sunset festival faced an agonizing decision that ultimately led to the event’s cancellation on October 31, 2025. The three-day music celebration, scheduled to run from October 31 through November 2, was scrapped mere hours before gates were set to open, leaving thousands of ticket holders disappointed but understanding of the safety concerns.
The Queensland Music Festival officially announced the cancellation through their media channels, citing safety as their primary concern.
The cancellation followed increasingly alarming meteorological warnings about high winds, torrential downpours, and unpredictable storm systems moving through the region. Festival director Claire Thompson told local media, “We’ve weathered challenges before, but these conditions simply exceeded our safety thresholds for both performers and attendees.”
Meteorological data indicated sustained wind speeds of 75 km/h with gusts potentially reaching 110 km/h during peak festival hours.
Coming off a completely sold-out 2024 edition, The Long Sunset had established itself as Queensland’s premier outdoor music gathering, blending natural coastal beauty with top-tier musical performances. The economic blow extends beyond disappointed music fans, with local hospitality, accommodation, and retail businesses now facing significant revenue shortfalls during what would have been their busiest weekend of the spring season.
Small business owner Darren Mitchell, who operates a food truck regularly featured at the event, expressed his disappointment. “It’s a triple hit—we’ve lost preparation costs, expected income, and future momentum,” he explained while packing away supplies originally intended for festival-goers.
The festival has historically contended with Queensland’s notoriously volatile late-October weather patterns, implementing extensive contingency measures in previous years. However, 2025 marks the first complete cancellation in the event’s history, breaking a precedent of partial adjustments and schedule modifications during inclement conditions.
Festival organizers have pledged full refunds to all ticket holders by November 15 and are already exploring potential rescheduling options for early 2026, though specific dates remain contingent on weather patterns, artist availability, and venue considerations. Music fans had been eagerly anticipating performances from Boy & Bear, Vera Blue, and Gretta Ray at the new Boonah location.
Organizers had already completed the time-intensive process of metadata registration for all performing artists to ensure proper royalty collection when the event would eventually take place.
Many artists will now pursue alternative sync deals to recover lost performance income until the festival can be rescheduled.
