PERTH, Australia – Organizers have announced that Listen Out, the annual Australian music festival, will not proceed in 2025.
Festival organizers cite difficulties in curating a lineup with the right “energy”
The festival will be replaced by “Listen Out Presents,” a series of smaller curated parties.
- Listen Out 2025 has been canceled due to difficulties securing a suitable lineup.
- Organizers promise “Listen Out Presents,” a series of smaller events.
- Perth is confirmed as one location for these new events.
The annual Listen Out festival, known for attracting artists like Denzel Curry and Flume, has been canceled because organizers were unable to curate a lineup that achieved the desired “cultural and energetic” flow, resulting in Listen Out being called off.
A social media post explained the decision: “Okay…deep breath. This one’s tough. Listen Out won’t be going ahead this year. We’ve always tried to build something special where the lineup reflects the culture and the energy flows both ways between the artists and you…The last few years have been tough. So, we’re hitting pause on Listen Out as you know it. But we’re not going anywhere.”
Listen Out Presents
Instead of the large-scale festival, the team will introduce “Listen Out Presents,” described as “one off carefully curated parties in killer locations around Australia all year long.”
Perth has been confirmed as a location, promising appearances by “some of the best artists in the world.”
“We’re still here for the good times…just in a new way. We’re not saying anything else…for now,” the post concluded.
Fan Reactions
The announcement sparked disappointment among fans, who voiced their opinions in the comments section of the post.
“This is not okay,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “Had me excited for it.”
A third commented, “That’s a joke, where are all the good festivals going? I was counting on listen out to pull though ugh.”
Past Troubles
The cancellation follows a year where several headliners pulled out shortly before the event. South African R&B singer Tyla and US rapper Flo Milli canceled their Australian trips just two days before they were scheduled to perform in Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and Sydney.
Aussie artist Lithe and American DJ John Summit also withdrew. Summit addressed his cancellation in a TikTok video, stating: “A lot of American artists dropped from this festival for ‘personal reasons.’”
