Big Day Out founder and creator Ken West has passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 64.
His family have issued a brief statement confirming the sad news: “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.
“Our family would appreciate respect and privacy during this difficult time. Ken was big and noisy in life, but passed quietly and peacefully,” their statement concluded.
West, along with his business partner Viv Lees, produced the record-breaking Big Day Out festival that toured Australia and New Zealand from 1992 through to 2014.
In its heyday the festival featured world renowned international acts such as Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Chemical Brothers, Rammstein, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Patti Smith and PJ Harvey along with a myriad of Australian acts such as Powderfinger, Hilltop Hoods and Spiderbait who became household names through their main stage appearances at the event.
In January, this year West had released an excerpt from his upcoming book to mark the 30th Anniversary of the inaugural Big Day Out that took place in Sydney in 1992.
West is survived by his wife Cathy, son Oliver and his many comrades, collaborators and friends he made along the way.