Ken West Cause Of Death: What happened to Big Day Out founder Ken West?

Ken West, the founder of iconic, ground-breaking music festival the Big Day Out, died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, April 7, 2022, aged 64.

Ken West’s family said in a 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.”

“Our family would appreciate respect and privacy during this difficult time. Ken was big and noisy in life, but passed quietly and peacefully.”

Ken West organised the first Big Day Out for January 1992 at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, which featured 21 bands, headlined by Violent Femmes, and most famously featured Nirvana at the peak of their Nevermind fame, as part of their only ever Australian tour.

Big Day Out became a rite of passage through the 1990s and 2000s, and flipped the way live music was presented in this country on its head.