The New Zealand fans were left disappointed after Australian DJ and producer Harvey Streten, better known as Flume, canceled his Bay Dreams festival gig in New Zealand, set to take place in January 2021. He posted an Instagram story announcing he will not perform due to the changing travel restrictions in the middle of COVID-19. The Aussie legend explained that he and his international team “didn’t feel they could deliver his show at the standards they hold themselves to.”
The organizers of Bay Dreams posted the information on their Facebook page, sharing that they booked 30 more artists they “could convince to quarantine” after Flume and Pendulum pulled out too. They also stated that the government had approved the exemption of these artists, which means that there is a silver lining after all. The new additions to the line-up include drum and bass DJs Sub Focus, Dimension and Friction, and American hip-hop duo EarthGang. However, not everyone was thrilled to hear the news. Many fans of Harvey expressed their opinions in the comment section, demanding a refund.
Canceling shows and events doesn’t come as a surprise amid the ongoing pandemic, which has put an immense burden on the economy, especially in the music industry. Despite the traveling restrictions and closed borders, the island country’s organizers found a solution to save the festival season by booking local artists. It means that most of the festival line-ups such as Rhythm and Vines, Rhythm and Alps as well as Splore show great resemblance. Mark Kneebone, the managing director of Live Nation New Zealand stated that “there was a genuine desire for people to go out and the big Kiwi acts were an exciting draw in themselves, as they were often touring during the summer and unavailable for local festivals.”
Bay Dreams, the only festival that still advertises international acts, is taking place in Mount Maunganui on January 3 and in Nelson on January 5, 2021.
Image Credit: So Perth
