A Splendour Like No Other: The Wash Up From A Wild Splendour In The Grass

After all of the wild weather-inflicted chaos,  the 2022 edition of Splendour In The Grass is over. It was for better and worse a Splendour unlike no other, as besieged with unprecedented challenges, event staff, performers and patrons carried on with unwavering spirit, ensuring they still had a muddy good time. 

While the wash-up from the event continues, this overview of the highlights, lowlights and unexpected delights shows why this year's Splendour In The Grass is likely to linger long in the memories of Aussie music fans. 

The Lowlights 

Day One Cancelled

Just as punters started pouring into the festival grounds on day one, the devastating news struck; all main stage performers were cancelled due to extreme weather conditions. A massive blow to the festival who had been gearing up for their first year back since the pandemic begun in 2020. Festival goers who were keen on seeing headline acts like Gorillaz, The Avalanches and Kasey Musgraves were disappointed, questioning the legitimacy of the renowned Splendour slogan "Rain, Hail or Shine". Others were a little more understanding, and made the most out of a shitty situation by visiting the destination stages on-site, or trekking into Byron Bay to find one of the many side shows that popped up after the news broke that day one was a no-go. Fans got to experience Baker boy (with special guest Bernard Fanning), Wet Leg, Yungblood and many more in various venues around Byron. Despite the challenges, Friday was a testament to how resilient the music industry has become and how keen Aussies are to get back into the thick of live music again. 

Transport Train Wreck

Saturday was full of live music highlights and punters were in high spirits after finally being able to attend the festival, but as the night grew to a close and it was time to head home, thousands of people were stuck waiting for buses until the early hours of the morning. Splendour responded, apologising for the wait time and blaming it on unexpected bus shortages. Luckily, Sunday night was a lot smoother and it seemed that splendour had become super skilled in putting out fires as quickly as they popped up. 

@lilrockylula

This was the bus lines #fyp #foryoupage #tylerthecreator #sitg2022 #splendourinthegrass #jackharlow #byronbay #junglegiants #fypage

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The Highlights

Live Music's Back Baby! 

It's clear to everyone that Splendour in the Grass 2022 had its fair share of challenges but what became even more clear was the love of live music that kept everyone soldiering on to the next set. From the pop-up sets in Byron Bay, to the continuously packed out stages, it was heart-warming to see the music industry coming out the other side of a rough couple of years. 

The view from the top of the amphitheatres' hill showed an never ending crowd that refused to thin out or dissipate despite the myriad of different acts that passed through the stage. It seemed that no matter who was on, festival-goers were keen to watch and immerse themselves in the joys of live music once more. 

Aussie Artists Shined Through

Headline acts like The Strokes and Tyler the Creator were a must see, but it was Aussie acts that really stole the show over the weekend. 

The Jungle Giants looked like headliners with their crowd filling out the Amphitheatre and spilling out of the exits. They put on an electrifying show that was the epitome of fun and carefree. A perfect palate cleanser after a shaky couple of days.

Amyl & The Sniffers also delivered a magnetic show that set their massive crowd at the GW McLennan tent into a tailspin of energy.  Since their appearance at SITG2018, the band have graced stages at both Coachella & Glastonbury, so its easy to see how the now festival-veterans were able to give such a fantastic show. 

Unexpected Delights

Violent Soho's last Hoorah

It was a bitter sweet moment as Violent Soho graced the stage for one of their last ever shows as a band before going on an indefinite hiatus. This year marks 18 years in the industry for the 4122 boys and each an every person turned up to their splendour set ready to give them the send off that they deserve. In return Soho delivered a career defining set playing a range of hits from all their albums like 'Viceroy', 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend', and 'Like Soda'. Of course, they finished with 'Covered in Chrome', making even the hardest of headbangers a little weepy.

So Much Mud

Wet weather at Splendour in the Grass is like a moth to a flame. Every year punters pray for a nice dry festival experience and nine times out of ten, their prayers go unanswered and the storm clouds roll in. This year was no different as wet weather claimed day one of the festival and threatened to take the rest. However, it seemed that nothing could break the spirit of this years attendee's and the muddy festival site became a playground for a range of different mud-related activities. Mudslides, Mud-angels and a very sophisticated tiered rating system of mud-types were just some of the things we were seeing over the weekend. Embracing the elements became a sport as festival goers put a stop to any more negativity and decided to "make lemonade out of mud". Organisers of the festival even jumped on the bandwagon changing their bannered name across the amphitheatre's stage to "Splendour In The Mud".

Despite the adverse challenges (like floating tents, cancelled acts and staff shortages) Splendour 2022 pulled through for a fun-filled weekend of live music and light-hearted fun. The Australian spirit was strong as each and every punter decided to embrace what the weather was dealing and create some golden memories that are sure to last a lifetime.