International musicians have adopted a new marketing strategy that has led to sold-out shows across Australia, whereas the organisers of Australian music festivals struggle to sell tickets.
Iconic Australian music festivals, including Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo, have been cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
Wollongong-based events coordinator and booking agent Charlie Orton said the cost of living crisis and evolving popularity within music genres could explain why Australia’s live music scene is facing life-threatening challenges.
Mr Orton also said the first 10 minutes of ticket sales going live is crucial for festival organisers as it allows them to predict the success of the event.
“They [event management teams] can analyse the traffic and engagement on their [social media] announcement post,” he said.
“They know from that data that there might not be enough patrons to lock in a festival.”
UOW student Lauren Eves said she was confused by this development, as she wanted to have as much notice as possible to save money and prepare in other ways for music festivals.
She said the cost of living crisis has put students are under more financial pressure and therefore many need to save money to be able to attend festivals.
Woodford Folk Festival, scheduled for NYE 2024, released a statement over the weekend that urged people to “spread the word” and buy a ticket so they don’t suffer the same fate.
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