SYDNEY, Australia — Jessica Ducrou is exiting as co-CEO of Australia’s Secret Sounds Group, producer of Splendour within the Grass competition and a slew of dwell music manufacturers.
As co-founder of Splendour, Australia’s flagship mid-winter tenting competition, Ducrou is the nation’s main feminine live performance and competition promoter.
With co-CEO Paul Piticco, Ducrou constructed Secret Sounds Group, one of many largest music group within the nation, representing Splendour, Harvest Rock, Falls Pageant, Secret Sounds Touring, Village Sounds reserving company, Secret Sounds Join industrial rights and artistic company, North Byron Parklands, The Triffid dwell music venue in Brisbane and extra.
In 2016, Reside Nation acquired a controlling stake in Secret Sounds Group.
Ducrou introduced her departure on Friday morning, June 21, one month earlier than the 2024 version of Splendour within the Grass was meant to play out in Byron Bay, with a invoice that includes Future, Kylie Minogue, Arcade Hearth and plenty of others.
That isn’t occurring. Splendour, as beforehand reported, canceled this 12 months’s occasion simply days after tickets went on sale to the general public, changing into the highest-profile casualty of a batch of manufacturers which have determined to pause or shut for good.
“So many memorable moments during the last virtually decade with Secret Sounds, what a wild experience it’s been,” Ducrou feedback in an announcement. “I’m properly due for an abroad summer time vacation so it’s time to take a break earlier than I embark on my subsequent chapter.”
Established in 2001 and held every year in Byron Bay, a picturesque seashore city on essentially the most easterly tip of Australia, Splendour is a vacation spot occasion.
The fest would change into the most well liked ticket within the coldest months.
Lately, nevertheless, the present endured a very powerful run, first with the pandemic, which noticed the fest introduced, then shelved a number of instances. Then, in 2022, excessive climate situations wrecked the primary day of Splendour 2022, contributing to softer-than-usual ticket gross sales for the 2023 version.
It was Ducrou who confronted the media when the heavens opened, and on the events when Splendour was pushed again. In 2021, when the well being disaster shut down festivals in all places, Ducrou led a novel venture that may flip Splendour right into a digital world, with greater than 50 unique, in-game performances.
Ducrou will take day out together with her youngsters, journey, and, within the interim, will proceed in her duties as chair of SoundNSW and deputy chair of the Australian Festivals Affiliation.
“It has been an epic journey that has been actually inspiring, and a possibility to collaborate with the very best within the enterprise,” she continues. “It could not have been as rewarding, doable or pleasant if it weren’t for the individuals I’ve labored alongside of. Paul Piticco has been an ideal enterprise associate for greater than 30 years and we are going to little question proceed our friendship properly into the long run. The Secret Sounds crew, notably Elise Huntley and the festivals gang, are the very best, I’ll miss working with the superior people who impressed me each single day. I want all at Secret Sounds and Reside Nation the perfect success of their future endeavors.”