Festival-goers at Splendour in the Grass will be met with heightened security today, with organisers blaming ‘recent events around the world’ for the tough new measures.
For the first time, festival goers will not be able to take backpacks inside the venue because of bomb threats, all vehicles will be searched on the way in, and people will be searched using electronic wands, such as those used at airports.
The festival, which attracts more than 30,000 people each day, will feature more than 100 artists including Queens of The Stone Age, Bernard Fanning, Peking Duk, Sigur Ross and Vance Joy.
It will also feature appearances from counter-terrorism police, who will join more than 150 officers patrolling the Splendour in the Grass site.
Organisers have also warned that drug dogs will be ‘swarming’ over the festival site throughout the three-day event.
Splendour promoter Paul Piticco said the terrorist attack at singer Ariana Grande’s concert in Manchester in May, which left 23 dead, was a factor in the new security arrangements.
And while the new security arrangements are expected to slow down the entry of many of the festival goers, organisers said a much improved drop off and pick up area in the southern carkpark would improve access for buses ferrying people to the site.
This is not for reasons of security. In fact the true reason is simple, Byron council wants to destroy splendour the way they have destroyed the rest of byron
so, at 30 seconds to check each person, they are going to need a team of 25 people working 10 hours each. ha ha good luck with that!!! So glad I am not going to get caught in the queue snarfu.
Counter terrorism squad? 150 police? Sniffer dogs? Is this the only gathering of 30,000 people in NSW this weekend.
No, there will be dozens of sporting and cultural everts with 30,000 attendees sneaking around. Shopping centres packed with shoppers with back backs and mysterious parcels. Planes, trains and automobiles. Cities, towns and villages packed with people. Etc etc.
This isn’t about terrorism, this is a continuation of the NSW government and police’s war on cannabis and the people who use it to manage their diseases, relieve pain and de-stress.
The fact that the police have told the world that they will be concentrating their resources at a music festival in the countryside is an invitation for “terrorists” to operate elsewhere.
Naturally when no terrorist activity takes place at Splendour, the NSW police will be congratulating themselves on foiling any potential plot.
Pity about robberies, murders and criminal activity that will take place unmolested because the police think their job is to harass people at a historically peaceful music festival.
Grow up.
RJS (name withheld to avoid police retribution)
Glad to hear that Splendour organisers are taking a responsible stand re security. If there were an incident and this security was not in place, people would be condemning them for not taking steps so good on them.
Well past time both Splendour an The Bluesfest contributed to the Byron Bay infrastructure. A few bucks a ticket would do in the same way parking fees at our local markets have been a boon to the upkeep of our showgrounds……..