With the last of the Splendour in the Grass attendees heading home, attention is now turning to the event's future after days of problems with flooding and large crowds.
The festival, at the North Byron Parklands in northern NSW, returned this year after a COVID pandemic-enforced hiatus, with an increased capacity from 35,000 to 50,000 patrons.
Before it started, many lined up for more than 12 hours only to be turned away from flooded campgrounds, with some forced to sleep in their cars in the car park.
The first day of music was cancelled and when the festival went into full swing on Saturday, more cracks started to show, Brisbane resident Eliza Hamdorf told the ABC.
"It was so noticeable that the capacity had increased … we were popping squats because the lines for the toilets were so long," she said.
She said after waiting 4.5 hours to get a bus back to her accommodation on Saturday night, she did not get into bed until 6:30am on Sunday and decided not to return for the third day of the festival.
"We were calling out for someone to bring us water, [but were] completely ignored," Ms Hamdorf said.
"One guy near me fainted and we were calling out for a medic ... and there was nobody.
"Splendour was my favourite festival but after this year I'm not going again."
Splendour in the Grass organisers issued a statement on Sunday morning acknowledging the long wait for buses and expressed their "sincere apologies".
Ticketholders took their frustrations to the festival's social media pages, flooding Instagram and Facebook with claims of "gaslighting", accusations of "no occupational health and safety" and the organisers being "disgusting and grossly underprepared".
Byron Shire Mayor Michael Lyon told the ABC there were many lessons to be learnt from the event.
He blamed the situation on the state government and its decision to increase the number of people allowed to attend by 43 per cent.
"I was never really in favour of the increase, but it has nothing to do with us," Mr Lyon said.
"Those approvals are run through the independent planning authority from the state government point of view.
"Given the year we've had, I think [the wet conditions were] … somewhat predictable."
The local state MP Tamara Smith said there needed to be a closer look at how future major events were hosted in flood zones.
"It may mean that we simply can't have festivals like that," she said.
"It might have to be spread around other venues, which is what I know is what happened spontaneously … rather than having thousands and thousands of people in a flood prone area."
Splendour in the Grass Festival organisers have not responded to questions from the ABC about their management of the event.
The NSW Minister for Arts, Byron Bay based Nationals MP Benjamin Franklin, was unavailable for comment.
Bogged cars towed and pushed out
Mud in parts of the low-lying area remained ankle-deep throughout the festival, after the area flooded on Thursday night.
Some festival goers slept in their cars, with broken tents and gazebos littering the grounds. Others, with no alternative, braved the wet and muddy conditions.
Those left in the water-logged campgrounds on Monday morning banded together to get out, jump-starting flat car batteries and pushing bogged cars.
"We absolutely had to help each other," Daniel Wicki, from Melbourne, said of the team effort to free his car.
Mr Wicki said despite his experience, he would consider attending the festival again next year.
"If I can survive this Splendour in the mud, I can survive anything so I probably will."
A tractor arrived late in the morning to help tow several vehicles out of the mud, including one belonging to Lani Shepardson from Adelaide.
"It was kind of stressful; we do have a plane to catch and we were worried we weren't going to get there, but we got some help doing a jump start and some help as well getting out of the bog," she said.
The festival organisers have said information about partial and full refunds will be made available.
In a statement to the ABC, the NSW Department of Fair Trading said "consumers dissatisfied with the outcome are encouraged to contact NSW Fair Trading for assistance".
