Rabbits Eat Lettuce 2025 Festival 'May Be Forced To Postpone'
The event may be postponed due to “unexpected developments” with the local council.
Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival (Source: Facebook)
This year’s Rabbits Eat Lettuce festival is in danger of being postponed, organisers shared with punters yesterday (11 March).
Taking place over the Easter long weekend—17-21 April in Southeast Queensland, the primarily electronic music-based festival has locked in heavy-hitting headliners in Luude, Astrix, and Nora En Pure.
However, the event may be forced to postpone due to “unexpected developments” with the Southern Downs Regional Council. But organisers have offered punters some hope by stating that if councillors vote to approve the festival’s Temporary Event Permit at their meeting on Wednesday, 19 March, this year’s event can still go ahead.
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According to festival organisers, the council allegedly preemptively refused to process the event’s permit applications “without due process or assessment.” This happened despite the festival hosting a safe, compliant, incident-free event with a successful pill-testing trial.
Upon receiving that information last week, ticket sales for this year’s event were postponed as organisers explored all available options, including alternative festival sites. Ticket sales remain paused until the permit is secured.
If Rabbits Eat Lettuce is postponed, festival entry packages will be transferred to Easter 2026 and refunds will be issued for glamping and bus tickets.
Today, the festival shared more information about the current situation and its implications for this year’s event.
“In yet another blow to Australia's music and arts festival scene, Rabbits Eat Lettuce (REL) faces the possibility of postponing its 16th edition to Easter 2026,” organisers wrote. “This comes in the wake of Esoteric Festival's very recent and sudden cancellation in rural Victoria, further highlighting the mounting pressures facing the music festival industry.”
In a statement, festival organisers alleged that the local council failed to follow due process due to “political influences.”
They wrote, “Festival organisers have been exploring all options to deliver REL 2025 and have expressed concerns that SDRC has failed to follow due process due to political influences.
“This is especially concerning where a development application for various high-quality events at Cherrabah Resort including food and wine festivals, country and other music festivals, and more was recommended for approval by SDRC's town planning department but rejected for political reasons, in a split Council vote of 4-4 that was resolved by the Mayor exercising a casting vote against the application.
“The apparent pattern of political interference ignores the immense cultural and economic benefits these events bring to regional Queensland and is another blow to the live music industry.”
Rabbits Eat Lettuce organisers urge councillors and the Mayor to ensure the Temporary Event Application permit is added to next week’s meeting as a priority and approved “consistent with earlier applications.”
Their statement continued, “A refusal to do so would mean that SDRC is deliberately avoiding due process, denying the event the opportunity for a fair and transparent decision.
“If SDRC does not act now, the festival may be forced into postponement, negatively impacting artists, vendors, attendees, the local economy and the Southern Downs’ reputation as a tourism destination full of diverse events and attractions.
“The ongoing trend of government red tape and political interference stifling Australia's festival and live music scene is alarming. Music and arts events are already under immense pressure due to rising costs, increased regulation, and a lack of institutional support.
“Instead of working with event organisers to facilitate safe, compliant, and culturally enriching experiences, local councils and governments are making it increasingly difficult for festivals to survive, costing jobs and vital tourism dollars for regional communities.”
Festival organisers added that the possible postponement of this year’s event would be “even more disappointing” as ticket sales are the “strongest they have ever been”. Rabbits Eat Lettuce 2025 is on track to sell out and be the strongest event to date.
“The potential postponement is a devastating and unnecessary setback that could be prevented if SDRC chooses to act in the best interests of the region and the music & arts industry,” they added. “The March 19th meeting represents a critical opportunity for councillors and the Mayor to demonstrate their support for regional tourism, local businesses, and cultural events, provided they first agree to put the matter on the agenda for a fair discussion and vote.”
The statement later read, “Policymakers are urged to recognise the immense value of the music and arts industry, not just culturally but economically, and to prevent petty politics from hindering its growth.
“The fate of events like REL, Esoteric, and many others depends on fair and transparent decision-making that prioritises broad and substantial community benefits over personal agendas and political bias. The time for SDRC to act is now.”
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