Byron Writers Festival showground events cancelled

Organisers of Byron Writers Festival (BWF) cancelled the Bangalow Showground events for the second and third days of the 2025 festival program, because of rain and safety issues.

In an email to ticketholders on the morning of Saturday 9 August, BWF organisers said: ‘Due to the condition of the festival site, as well as ongoing rain predicted, organisers of the 2025 Byron Writers Festival regret to inform all ticket holders that the festival will not proceed on Saturday 9 August and Sunday 10 August at Bangalow Showground as planned.

‘This difficult decision has been made in close consultation with all Byron Writers Festival stakeholders and is based on the safety and wellbeing of our patrons, authors, partners, suppliers and volunteers.’

Some events did go ahead over the weekend, but in different formats and venues.

Organisers told Books+Publishing that, ‘all of the Friday sessions went ahead as planned and were well received. The Feature and Satellite Sessions went ahead (in separate venues, not at Bangalow Showground)’, and on Saturday at the Book Room, authors continued with their planned book signings, including Michelle de Kretser, Cameron Stewart, Markus Zusak, Robert Dessaix⁠, and Emily Maguire⁠.

On Sunday at the A&I Hall in Bangalow, four live sessions were made available to existing ticket holders on a first come, first served basis: Tom Keneally in conversation with Esther Anatolitis; Ziggy Ramo in conversation with Laurie May; Barry Jones in conversation with Kerry O’Brien; and Writing Love and Sex with Stacey McEwan, Saman Shad and Robert Watkins. ‘Everyone loved these sessions,’ organisers told Books+Publishing.

Festival artistic director Jessica Alice called the decision ‘deeply regrettable but necessary’, but that the ‘safety of our community is our highest priority’. The forecast conditions made ‘it impossible to continue the event safely’.

The organisation said it will be in contact with ticket holders ‘as soon as possible with updates and outcomes’.

Category: Festivals Local news