From Splendour to serenity – North Byron Parklands may become wellness retreat

THE sale of the site that has been home to Splendour in the Grass since 2013 may not be the death knell for the much-loved music festival, according to one of its co-owners.

Brandon Saul, who is one of 28 people involved in the music industry who got together to buy North Byron Parklands so Splendour could have a permanent home, said it will be up to the new owners what they want to do with it.

The site at Wooyung, just north of Ocean Shores, has approval to run up to three festivals a year, as well as one-day events.

But it also has approval to build a 120-person wellness retreat, which Saul believes is the most likely outcome.

Saul, an arts and music industry veteran who is also on the board of Byron Community Centre and helped establish Habitat, said the conglomerate was selling with mixed emotions.

“Every decision we have ever taken has been unanimous, including the decision to sell, mostly because it’s not being used,” he said.

“It’s definitely going to be sad to see it go, but it’s been coming for a while. It’s no secret that COVID really changed the festival landscape and festivals have been doing it tough from one end of the globe to the other. It’s a big property to hang onto without a use financially. It was just time.”

After being cancelled in 2024 due to rising costs and insufficient ticket sales, Splendour in the Grass organisers Secret Sounds announced in January that the 2025 event would not go ahead either.

The 229-hectare freehold property is the largest single landholding in the Byron Shire and is expected to sell for around $35 million.

Leon Alaban, who is head of hotels at Savills Australia and New Zealand, said it was a rare opportunity.

“With Byron attracting record prices across all asset classes, we expect this exceptional opportunity will demand buyer interest to draw parallels to recent records within the region,” he said.

The site could also be transformed into an eco-tourism development, an equestrian estate, a luxury private estate or an exclusive residential compound.

Expressions of interest close on April 30, if not sold prior.