The touring Harvest festival appears destined for the live music scrapheap after only three years, because poor ticket sales has made going ahead this year "too risky" for all concerned, according to its promoter, AJ Maddah.

Massive Attack was billed as the headline act, with Franz Ferdinand, Goldfrapp and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club also on the menu.

Crowds watch The Dandy Warhols perform at the 2012 Harvest Festival in Brisbane. Credit:Harrison Saragossi

"At this point it looks like it will disassociate into several tours," Maddah told Fairfax exclusively. He said the final decision hadn't yet been made but he was pessimistic about the tour's survival.

An abbreviated Harvest was the only possible way to keep the festival on, he said, but his preference was to replace it with a series of national headline tours by the main artists, which his company Harvest Presents would promote. Harvest ticketholders would be refunded.