'Everything Fell Off': The Struggles That Birthed Telenova's New Album, 'The Warning'

Laneway Festival Addresses Punter Concerns Following Gold Coast Event

Mary Varvaris

"We are committed to doing better," the Laneway team said in a statement to punters today.

Laneway Festival Gold Coast
Laneway Festival Gold Coast(Credit: Kelsey Doyle)
More Chappell Roan Chappell Roan

Laneway Festival organisers have issued a statement addressing punter concerns following the Gold Coast event on Saturday (7 February).

For the first time, the popular travelling festival relocated from its stomping ground of Brisbane Showgrounds to the Gold Coast event precinct, Southport Sharks.

With headliner Chappell Roan and buzzy acts such as Geese, PinkPantheress, and Role Model, plus the likes of Wolf Alice, Wet Leg, Alex G, BENEE, Lucy Dacus, and many others, the Gold Coast edition of the festival sold out on the morning of the event.

However, since the weekend, punters have reported alleged issues with accessibility, a lack of shade, and the safe exit of everyone from the venue at the conclusion of the festival. Attendees have also cited overcrowding and security guards sharing conflicting information about where they could stand during busy sets.

A majority of punter concerns have been shared in the comments on Laneway Festival’s recent Instagram posts, but there are also comments circulating on the triple j Reddit. Reviewing the event, The Music’s Claire Dunton said leaving the venue at the end of the evening was “nightmarish.”

Today (10 February), festival organisers shared a statement on Instagram Stories in response to concerns about the event.

They offered a “sincere apology” to anyone impacted by the challenges and said they’d begun reviewing their processes and speaking with affected patrons. They concluded the statement by sharing a commitment to improve.

The statement reads:

We want to sincerely apologise for the challenges faced by patrons with accessibility requirements at Laneway Gold Coast.

 

We immediately began reviewing our processes and have spoken with affected patrons to ensure meaningful improvements moving forward.

 

We are continuing to make direct contact with those affected. If you were impacted, please reach out via [email protected].

 

We want to hear from you. Thank you for raising your concerns. We are committed to doing better.

Laneway Festival via Instagram Stories

The Music reached out to representatives for the festival for further comment, but didn’t receive a response by the time of publication.

Upon announcing that the Gold Coast and Sydney events sold out before they took place over the weekend, festival co-founders Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio said, “What a way to kick off our Australian run with a sold-out show on the Gold Coast.”

“The response to Laneway this year has been beyond anything we could have imagined. We’re so grateful to the fans, the artists, and the incredible team who bring this festival to life.”

Laneway Festival continues at Melbourne’s Flemington Park this Friday (13 February), followed by its final 2026 events at the Adelaide Showgrounds (Saturday, 14 February) and Perth’s Arena Joondalup (Sunday, 15 February).

Just a handful of tickets remain for the Melbourne event, and limited tickets are available for the Adelaide and Perth legs. You can secure your tickets here.