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Big Pineapple Music Festival

This is about the music festival. For the landmark, see Big Pineapple.

Big Pineapple Music Festival
Big Pineapple Music Festival in 2019 Big Pineapple Music Festival in 2019
Location(s)	76 Nambour Connection Road, Woombye, Sunshine Coast, Queensland 4559
Years active	2013-present
Founded by	Brad Rankin and Peter Kendall
Website	www.bigpineapplemusicfestival.com

Lead

The Big Pineapple Music Festival is held annually at the Big Pineapple Landmark, in Woombye, Queensland, Australia (Ludlow, 2017). The festival features a range of artists from a variety of genres and first occurred on 21^st April 2013 with over 8000 tickets purchased (Maastricht, 2013). The festival was initially developed by the new Big Pineapple landmark owners, in an attempt to pull the business out of bankruptcy (Ludlow, 2017). From 2016-2019, the festival repeatedly sold out (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019; Sunshine Coast Daily, 2017). The Big Pineapple Music Festival has consecutively won the ‘People’s Choice Award Festival of the Year’ for 2017 and 2018 at the Queensland Music Awards (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019). Festival organisers have confirmed plans to expand the festival to a two-day event in 2020 (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019).

Description

The Big Pineapple Music Festival is held annually in Woombye, Queensland, Australia (Ludlow, 2017). The festival was developed by new owners of the Big Pineapple landmark, as a turnaround venture of a broader strategic plan, to help the business emerge from bankruptcy (Ludlow, 2017). The festival first occurred on the 21^st April 2013 (Maastricht, 2013). Since its debut in 2013 the festival has occurred annually. However, from 2014-present the festival has taken place mostly at the end of autumn, during the second half of May. In recent years, the festival has recorded attendance above 15000, with the 2016, 2017 and 2018 festivals selling out (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019; Sunshine Coast Daily, 2017).  

History

Venue

The Big Pineapple in Woombye is a part of a “big” group of Australian tourist attractions. Alongside the Big Pineapple is Coffs Harbour’s ‘Big Banana’, Ballina’s ‘Big Prawn’ and Goulburn’s ‘Big Merino’.  The Big Pineapple comprises a 170-hectare site, with a total capacity for 16,000 people (Ludlow, 2017). The Big Pineapple went into liquidation in the 2000’s and was purchased by Brad Rankin and Peter Kendall in 2011 (Ludlow, 2017). In 2017, the pair lodged a development application for the Big Pineapple with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council (Ludlow, 2017). The application contained plans to expand the Big Pineapples current facilities by developing a hotel with 120 rooms, a potential brewery/winery, food hub and additional camping facilities (Ludlow, 2017). 

Music Festival

The Big Pineapple Music Festival was first held on 20 April 2013 and has taken place annually since (Maastricht, 2013). In 2013, over 8000 tickets were purchased by people from Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth and Cairns (Maastricht, 2013). In exchange for a free ticket, 200 people volunteered to assist with running and cleaning up the festival (Maastricht, 2013). The Big Pineapple Music Festivals in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 sold out, with all available tickets being purchased before the festival date (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019; Sunshine Coast Daily, 2017). This year’s Big Pineapple Music Festival set a new record for the time taken to sell out, with all available tickets purchased within two weeks of being on sale (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019).

Future

The owners and organisers of the festival contacted Tourism Queensland and requested permission to expand the length of the festival from one day to two days (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019). This request was approved by Tourism Queensland and organisers are planning to deliver the first two-day Big Pineapple Music Festival in 2020 (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019).

Line ups

2013

The artists for Big Pineapple Music Festival's first year included: Grinspoon (headliner), Birds of Tokyo, Regurgitator, British India, Black Seeds, Hermitude, Ash Grunwald,  OKA, Bobby ALU, Kingswood, Sticky Fingers, Chance Waters, Dialectrix, Cheap Fakes, Andy Dub, The Leisure Bandits (Maastricht, 2013; Oztix, 2012).

2015

The John Butler Trio, The Jezabels, Jebediah, Violent Soho, Thundamentals, Drawcard, The Hi Boys, Dallas Frasca, Dune Rats, Timberwolf, The Belligerents, Sahara Beck, The Floating Bridges, MC Wheels, Coin Banks, Sarah Howells, Karl S. Williams, Dubarray, The Dawn Chorus, In2Nation, The Black Catapult (Sinclair, 2015; Coolum Weekly, 2015).

2016

RUFUS, You Am I, Hermitude, The Veronicas, The Smith Street Band, DMA’s, Tkay Maidza, Regurgitator, Holy Moly, The Delta Riggs, Yahtzel, Opiuo, KLP (DJ set), Yeo, The Bennies, Tijuana Cartel, Dylan Joel, Odd Mob, Mathas, Sahara Beck, GG Magree, The Ninjas, The Floating Bridges, Lyall Moloney, Transvaal Diamond Syndicate, The Brains Trust, Khan Harrison Band, Gurps Band, Buck Dean and The Green Lips, Batchelo, Jenga (Sundstrom, 2016).

2017

The artists that performed at the fifth consecutive Big Pineapple Music Festival included: Birds of Tokyo, Peking Duk, Safia, Northlane, Cloud Control, The Veronicas, City Calm Down, Ldru, Dz Deathrays, Urthboy, Vera Blue, Harts, Alex Lahey, Boo Seeka, Polish Club, Ngaiire, Sampa The Great, Bootleg Rascal, Jack River, Nicole Millar, Pierce Brothers, Citizen Kay, Bec Sandridge, Benson, Moonbase, Fortunes, Winston Surfshirt, Ocean Alley, West Thebarton Brothel Party, Gold Member, Hey Geronimo, Barefoot, In2nation, Buck Dean & The Green Lips, High Tropics, Arpier, The Hi Boys, Bearfoot and Fight Ibis (winner of Triple J’s Unearth 2017 competition) (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2017).

2018

The sixth Big Pineapple Music Festival line up was comprised of: Voilent Soho, Illy, Dune Rats, The Preatures, Allday, Hayden James, Cub Sport, Cog, Butterfingers, Crooked Colours, E^ST, Kilter, Kim Churchill, Slumberjack, Luke Million, Northeast Party House, ShockOne, Tired Lion, Arno Faraji, Carmouflage Rose, Clews, Doolie, Greta Stanley, Hobo Magic, Imbi The Girl, Kira Puru, Maddy Jane, Moody Beach, Mookhi, Pandamic, Myxen, Pow! Negro, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Rackett, Suidgenini, The Moving Stills, The Vanns, Fragile Animals (winner of Triple J’s Unearthed 2018 competition) (Newstead, 2018).

2019

This year's Big Pineapple Music Festival line up: Peking Duk, Broods, PNAU, Vera Blue, Thundamentals, Karnivool, Benson, Confidence Man, Hands Like Houses, Hatchie, Last Dinosaurs, Joy, KLP, Running Touch, Rakeem Miles, Kota Banks, The Chats, Laurel, Touch Sensitive, Mallrat, West Thebarton, Stand Atlantic, Tkay Maidza, Wafia, Austen, Mane, Gold Member, Tones and I, Fight Ibis, The Dreggs (Big Pineapple Music Festival, 2019).

Controversy

Arrests

2013

The first Big Pineapple Music Festival was patrolled by 30 Queensland Police Officers and accompanying drug-detection dogs (The Gympie Times, 2013). Approximately 1000 people were searched upon entry, resulting in 40 drug detections (The Gympie Times, 2013). 15 individuals were arrested on drug offenses, with possession of MDMA (ecstacy) accounting for half of the charges (The Gympie Times, 2013).

2014

In 2014, the Police used drug-detection dogs to passively searched 1100 of the 8000 people that attended the Big Pineapple Music Festival (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2014). This resulted in a detection rate of 7.2%, with 80 people testing positive (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2014). Of these 80, 18 law breakers were identified and charged with 19 offenses (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2014). 18 people were charged with possession of dangerous drugs, including MDMA, ecstasy, cannabis, methylamphetamine and cocaine, and 1 person for possession of a dangerous weapon (knife) (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2014). Police also conducted a total of 260 random breath tests on and around Nambour Connection Road, with no positive readings recorded (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2014).

2016

In 2016, the Police Force conducted searches of between 1000 and 2000 people entering the Big Pineapple Music Festival. Drug-detection dogs detected 18 people which resulted in 21 drug related offenses being recorded (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2016).

2019

In 2019, the Queensland Police Force employed uniform officers, drug-detection dogs and undercover officers to monitor the festival (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019b). 45 people were arrested on drug-related charges, including cocaine, LSD, marijuana, MDMA and amphetamine (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019b).   

Awards

The Big Pineapple Music Festival has been the consecutive recipient of the ‘People’s Choice Award Festival of the Year’ award at the Queensland Music Awards, for both 2017 and 2018 (Sunshine Coast Daily, 2019). 

References

Big Pineapple Music Festival (2019). Line Up 2019. Retrieved from https://www.bigpineapplemusicfestival.com/line-up

Ludlow, M. (2017, September 2). The Big Pineapple finding harmony with rock ‘n’ roll. The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Maastricht, J. (2013, April 6). Pineapple music festival close to a big sellout. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Newstead, Al. (2018, April 26). Big Pineapple Music Festival: meet your Unearthed winner Fragile Animals. ABC. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Oztix (2012, Dec 4). Big Pineapple Music Fest Line-Up. Retrieved from https://www.oztix.com.au/news/archive/2012/12/04/big-pineapple-music-fest-line-up/

Sunshine Coast Daily (2014, May 20). Police say festival operation a success. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from Factiva Database.

Sunshine Coast Daily (2017, May 26) Hottest ticket in town. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from  Factive Database.

Sunshine Coast Daily (2019, March 21). Sweet success for pineapple music festival. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Sunshine Coast Daily (2019, May 28). 45 drug arrests at Big Pineapple festival. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Sinclair, S. (2015, 6 February). Festival banks on Butler. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Coolum Weekly, (2015, 13 February). Festival has JBT as drawcard. Coolum Weekly. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Sunshine Coast Daily (2016, 30 May). Drug detection dogs kept busy. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from Factiva database.

Sundstrom, K. (2016). Rufus to headline festival. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved from Factiva database.

The Gympie Times (2016, 22 April). Canine noses pinpoint 40 with drugs at music festival. The Gympie Times. Retrieved from https://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/canine-noses-pinpoint-drugs/1838210/