How'd they do it? Crowds mass at Red Hot Summer as other festivals flop

Long lines at the gates to the Red Hot Summer Tour have proven the city can still put on a show even after a slew of festivals were called off over poor ticket sales.

That includes Groovin' the Moo Bendigo, which would have taken place on the same day as Red Hot Summer if it had not been cancelled.

Event industry insiders have blamed a "perfect storm" of rising costs, extreme weather and excessive regulation that has prompted at least 25 cancellations across Australia since 2022.

Bendigo resident Nae Howard was among those who gave their thoughts as they waited to get through the gates at the Red Hot Summer Tour on April 27.

She was celebrating her 40^th birthday with 10 friends wearing identical Hawaiian shirts complete with images of her face.

"Groovin' [The Moo's festival] is for the young ones. This is better," she said.

Others put Red Hot Summer's success down to the line-up.

"Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, The Living End ... a lot of people know the songs and the people performing here," Craigieburn's Maddie Smith said.

Here's Groovin' the Moo's 2024 line-up:

Gippsland's Paul Oakley had been to five Red Hot Summer festivals and said the venue was a good one.

"We've been at different venues including one in Mornington. I didn't like that venue. It was too compact," he said.

"This one is more wide open, it's easier to access areas."