Big Red Bash organisers lose $3 million legal battle over COVID-19 cancellation insurance claim

February 4, 2022

Organisers of Queensland’s Big Red Bash have lost their legal battle in the Federal Court with insurers to recoup millions of dollars of losses from the COVID-19 -related halting of the event in 2020.

The outback Queensland event, which had been expected to attract around 10,000 people was cancelled in 2020 resulting in the organisers seeking an in insurance payout of more than $3 million.

While seeking to recover $3,182,444 in indemnity insurance, an exclusion in the insurance policy meant the event was not covered for "any loss directly or indirectly arising out of, contributed to by, or resulting from a communicable disease."

Last month, the Federal Court of Australia ruled against the organisers of the event, Outback Music Festival Group, in their dispute with insurers.

Organisers argued that "the communicable disease led to a restriction on travel" and it was because of those travel restrictions that the event could not proceed.

However, a judge found that "the exclusion is engaged because the decision to cancel was taken because of a communicable disease or the threat of a communicable disease”, adding “the event had to be cancelled for the safety of all concerned in the context of the overwhelming operational difficulties thrown up by COVID-19, any number of which was or were sufficient to make holding the event impossible.

Outback Music Festival Group was ordered to pay costs.

28th January 2022 - Full Tilt festival organiser says promoters have ‘zero confidence’ in governments after live industry’s ‘disgraceful’ treatment

28th January 2022 - Queensland Government continues to support live music industry in 2022

21st January 2022 - Rescheduled Tamworth Country Music Festival clashes with Parkes Elvis Festival

14th January 2022 - Evangelical church Hillsong’s summercamp NSW ‘festival’ avoids action over banned singing and dancing

13th January 2022 - Omicron impact sees call for screen production insurance to be matched for live music and events

28th December 2021 - Future secured for Queensland’s Woodford Folk Festival

22nd December 2021 - AMPSEA partners with Sportscover to deliver National Insurance Scheme

15th December 2021 - Launch of COVID-19 insurance brings certainty to events

30th November 2021 - Live music and entertainment industry urges Governments to deliver national insurance scheme as Omicron threatens recovery

30th November 2021 - New Rodeo event places a spotlight on Outback Queensland

22nd November 2021 - Federal Government rejects call for national event insurance scheme

13th November 2021 - Outback operators secure nine awards at 2021 QTIC Queensland Tourism Awards

8th November 2021 - Federal Opposition gets behind events industry’s call for cancellation insurance scheme

8th November 2021 - Outback Queensland Tourism Association looks to maintain visitation rise

21st October 2021 - LPA calls for insurance and wage support in wake of industry revenue loss of $1.4 billion

19th October 2021 - Tourism and Transport Forum welcomes announcement on Queensland border reopening

20th August 2021 - Outback music festival organiser to demand proof of vaccination for attendees in 2022

8th July 2021 - Three-day Big Red Bash music festival sees record attendance

16th April 2021 - Outback Music Trail launched in Queensland

23rd June 2020 - Outback tourism attractions to share in $3 million of funding

19th June 2019 - 2019 Regional Events Conference to see industry professionals gather in Dubbo

6th June 2019 - Queensland Government encourages outback tourism through winter

4th December 2018 - Midnight Oil to perform at  Birdsville Big Red Bash Music Festival

13th July 2016 - Over 7,000 rock the desert at the 2016 Birdsville Big Red Bash

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.