Which past Australian concerts or tours have left ticketholders unpaid after promoters collapsed, and what were the outcomes?
Executive summary
Several recent and historical episodes in Australia show ticketholders left out of pocket when promoters or ticketing businesses collapsed: the promoter behind Candace Owens’ blocked 2024–25 Australia tour entered liquidation leaving refunds unresolved [1], U.S. ticketing platform Lyte abruptly shut down in 2024 and was accused of leaving promoters unpaid for large sums [2], and the promoter behind Juicy Fest NZ and the Timeless Summer Tours went into liquidation after cancelling events [3]; outcomes have ranged from liquidator appointments and creditor processes to emergency rescue efforts, but concrete mass refunds remain uncertain in the reporting [1] [4] [2] [3].
1. The Candace Owens tour: promoter liquidation and unpaid ticketholders
When the immigration minister refused a visa for U.S. commentator Candace Owens and the national speaking tour was cancelled, the Australian promoter Rocksman later entered liquidation, with documents lodged to the corporate regulator showing a debt of $68,395.54 to the Australian Taxation Office and no listed assets other than a bank account of undeclared value, leaving ticketholders waiting for refunds more than a year after the cancellation [1]; reporting by the Times of India likewise summarised the liquidation and described ticketholders as “left with little hope” [5].
2. Lyte: ticketing platform shutdown that cascaded to promoters and festivals
In September 2024 the resale/ticketing company Lyte abruptly ceased operations and laid off staff, a collapse that Billboard and Australian outlets reported had left concert promoters and some festivals potentially unpaid for hundreds of thousands of dollars of ticket sales, while Lyte’s founder Ant Taylor resigned and an “emergency board” was described as seeking a buyer or a path to repay affected parties [4] [2]; lawsuits referenced in reporting allege Lyte’s business model involved working closely with promoters on VIP inventory and resale profits, a model that complicated recovery paths when the company failed [2].
3. Juicy Fest / Timeless Summer Tours: liquidation after cancellations
Promoters behind Juicy Fest NZ and the Timeless Summer Tours were placed into liquidation after those events were cancelled and purchasers struggled to obtain refunds, with liquidators from Blacklock Rose — Ben Francis and Garry Whimp — appointed to manage the affairs, according to Australasian Leisure Management reporting [3].
4. Historical precedent: promoter insolvency and artist tours
Promoter insolvencies are not new in Australia: earlier corporate collapses have left large debts while events were in progress or planned — for example, a company tied to promoter Andrew McManus was reported to have held only $15,251 in the bank against debts exceeding $4.2 million when it was liquidated while promoting multiple tours in 2011, illustrating how little recoverable cash can remain for ticket-holders or suppliers when a promoter fails [6].
5. Outcomes, remedies and industry context
The practical outcomes for ticket-holders in these episodes have been uneven: liquidators are routinely appointed [3] [1], emergency creditor efforts or potential buyers have been floated [4] [2], and insurers sometimes cover portions of artist guarantees or losses depending on policy terms — but insurance doesn’t automatically guarantee consumer refunds and coverage varies by contract [7]. Industry reporting also places these collapses in a broader context of consolidation, rising costs and operational risk for promoters and venues, factors that increase chances of cancellations and insolvencies with cascading impacts on artists, crew and ticketholders [8] [9] [10].
6. What the reporting does and does not show
The contemporary coverage documents liquidations, alleged unpaid sums and appointed liquidators [1] [4] [2] [3] but does not provide a comprehensive ledger of recovered funds or final distributions to ticket-holders for the cases cited; therefore it is not possible from these sources to state definitively what percentage of ticketholders eventually received refunds in each instance [1] [3] [2].