Ken West, who co-founded and organised Australia’s Big Day Out music festival with fellow promoter Vivian Lees, died on 7 April 2022, aged 64. His family said he died peacefully in his sleep. The reports announcing his death did not state a cause.
Who was Ken West?
West was an Australian music promoter best known for helping create the Big Day Out, a large-scale festival that brought international headliners and local artists together across Australia and New Zealand. He organised the first event with Lees, his co-founder and business partner; the festival’s history was not West’s alone.
In a 2019 interview with ABC Double J, West reflected: “After a lifetime living in the future, I’m loving living in the now.” He also described the festival as “the greatest job in the world” in writing on his anniversary website.
How did Ken West die, and when?
West’s family said he died on the morning of 7 April 2022, aged 64, and described his death as peaceful. ABC Double J reported the family’s statement: “We bring unfortunate news that, Ken West; a father, husband, mentor and most of all a legend, has passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of the 7th April 2022.” The reports cited here do not give a cause of death.
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How did the Big Day Out begin?
West and Lees launched the first Big Day Out at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion in January 1992. Pollstar dates that concert to 25 January and reports that 9,500 people paid to attend. ABC identifies Violent Femmes and Nirvana among the acts on the first bill.
The initial Sydney show developed into a touring event. Australasian Leisure Management says Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth were added in 1993, followed by the Gold Coast and Auckland in 1994. The festival therefore grew beyond its Australian base to include a New Zealand stop.
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What made the festival notable?
Across its later editions, Big Day Out mixed major international performers with Australian acts. ABC Double J described it as a significant platform for both, while musicians interviewed by the broadcaster recalled its impact in their own terms. West wrote that working with artists helped him create “beautiful complex events” and that the festival was “continually evolving and growing for over 20 years.” Those descriptions capture how participants viewed it, rather than an independently measured cultural ranking.
Retrospective totals vary by outlet and measure. PerthNow reported more than 120 events across six cities and more than five million people over the festival’s history. Double J described the festival as running for 22 years. That is a span, not 22 consecutive annual editions: one account notes it did not take place in 1998. These are publishers’ historical figures, not figures presented here as independently audited totals.
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When did Big Day Out end?
The festival’s final shows took place in 2014, after its acquisition by US promoter C3 Presents, according to ABC Double J. Its touring years connected several cities and audiences, but the available accounts do not establish that it ran every year between its launch and its final edition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to West’s planned book?
For the festival’s 30th anniversary, West shared excerpts from a planned book on a website he created. The site said the manuscript had been written but was still being assembled with photographs, artwork and documents. The sources cited here do not establish whether the book was later published.
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