Some bad news if you were heading to the Central Coast festival next weekend.

Mountain Sounds festival has cancelled its 2019 event, saying they're the latest victim in what they describe as the NSW Government's "war on festivals".

Organisers say they are "devastated" to cancel what would be the sixth annual edition, scheduled for 15 and 16 Feb at the Mount Penang Parklands, due to "further conditions and financial obligations [being] imposed on the festival" a week out from the event, "which were impossible to meet."

"We can’t begin to express our sadness in having to cancel the event, particularly this close to it," organisers wrote in a lengthy, heartfelt statement today. "The combination of excessive costs, additional licensing conditions and the enforcement of a stricter timeline left us no option but to cancel the event."

"We, like many of you, have seen the festival climate continue to diminish in Australia. NSW in particular is in dire straits. This is yet another example of the government’s war on festivals."

Last week, Mountain Sounds was forced to downsize its line-up, reconfiguring two stages and cutting over 20 artists, in a bid to meet stricter safety guidelines and site infrastructure. Today, they explain increased pressure around "newly imposed safety, licensing and security costs" has pushed the festival to breaking point.

Read the full statement below.

Skip Facebook FireFox NVDA users - To access the following content, press 'M' to enter the iFrame. Skip Facebook Post FireFox NVDA users - To access the following content, press 'M' to enter the iFrame.

"Our submissions were consistent with last year’s operation, yet this year authorities seemed adamant to penalise us on technicalities and clerical errors. It was strongly indicated to us that we were not going to be granted the necessary approvals required for the 2019 event to proceed next weekend."

Mountain Sounds was slugged with a $200,000 quote for a police presence of 45 user pay officers on a 24hr cycle. "This came one week out from the festival and blindsided us as we were quoted for 11 user pay police on 18 January."

This year's event would've had less attendees than the 2018 Mountain Sounds, which required just 11 user pay police for 16,000 attendees. There were 49 drug detections last year, "that’s 0.30%. This is another reason we are left shell-shocked that this could happen."

"The future for Mountain Sounds is unclear at this point in time but we will find a way to continue our passion and commitment in bringing music and arts to the coast... We may have lost the Mountain, but they can’t stop the Sounds."

Ticketholders will be contacted by the festival and ticketing partners next week regarding refunds.

The line-up featured faves like What So Not, Thundamentals, Courtney Barnett, and Yungblud (on Friday night); plus Angus & Julia Stone, Nothing But Thieves, Middle Kids, Ruby Fields (on Saturday), and Unearthed comp winners Helipot.

Cancellation comes after new NSW festival licensing laws

In the wake of five drug-related deaths in six months and ongoing calls for pill testing trials, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian vowed to improve safety at music festivals by introducing harsher penalties for drug dealers and forming an advisory expert panel.

On 20 January, new NSW festival licensing laws were announced declaring that from March, organisers have to apply for a specific liquor license (similar to those in pubs and clubs) for each music festival they host.

Each application will need to be approved by a panel of experts, including stakeholders from NSW Police, Liquor and Gaming NSW, NSW Ambulance, and NSW Health before a licence can be issued.

“Festival organisers will need to ensure their events meet high safety standards,” Minister for Racing Paul Toole said in a statement. “Events with a poor track record and heightened risk will face greater oversight from authorities.”

Mountain Sounds isn't the only NSW festival to feel the policy squeeze

"We have witnessed and empathised with other festivals who have recently faced similar outcomes," Mountain Sounds organisers say. "We continued to work tirelessly in an attempt to survive. Unfortunately, we too have been put in an impossible situation as it was unrealistic for us to pull this money together, particularly given the time frame."

Last year, Good Things had to scrap plans allowing under 18s to attend the Sydney leg of the punk and metal festival due to "exorbitant" costs for added security and police presence. This came after what organisers described as "unprecedented opposition to the event from the police and the government."

NSW Police had also been accused of attempting to shut down Boehmian Beatfreaks, after the three-day festival was slapped with a $200,000 quote for police attendance - nearly 12 times the cost of policing last year's 3000-capacity event.

Meanwhile, Rabbits Eat Lettuce announced earlier this month that it was relocating to Queensland following NSW Police lodging action in the Supreme Court, leaving the festival "in a fragile financial position after forking out $100,000 to fight last year's action by NSW Police," a statement read. "The current political state of play in NSW is not conducive to the festival industry."

Last week, Blue Mountains festival Psyfari also cancelled. In a lengthy Facebook statement, organisers blamed the NSW government for its "war on festivals", including intense scrutiny on safety policies, event costs, heavy police presence, and concerns over drug-related deaths.

"There has never been harder times for camping festivals in NSW, with challenges and conditions slowly squeezing things too far," they wrote.

"We are unfortunate to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when festivals are the new scapegoat of a failed government and their failed war on drugs."

The NSW Premier's office has been approached for comment.