Tickets have been released for Spilt Milk music festival, with the event attracting numerous major headliners, including American Artist Kendrick Lamar and other notable Australian artists such as The Dreggs and The Rions.
While many music lovers snagged tickets as soon as they were released on May 9, there have been concerns over the steep rise in ticket prices, as well as accommodation and travel expenses.
The Australian Government has released data from a 2019 survey that shows the average spending of music festival goers to be around $921 per music event.
Source: Tourism Research Australia
Festival promoter Isobel Fitzpatrick said that the expenses associated with attending a music festival was a non-issue due to the current limited festival experiences available.
Ms Fitzpatrick also believes there should be more festivals in Australia that cater to the Australian music industry.
“I’d say I’m an avid music festival or any live music event goer. On average, I go to at least two to three festivals a year,” she said.
“Australia should have more (music festivals). We need to get behind more Aussie artists to make this happen.
“There is so much talent, and we need to fill the festivals, so people need to get around this to avoid cancellations due to not enough international artists.”
With other major Australian festivals such as Splendor in the Grass and Groovin the Moo being cancelled for 2025, the costs of Spilt Milk to some has seemed reasonable and worth the money spent.
Data from ‘That Festival Site’ looked at the ticket prices yearly for major Australian festivals, indicating a significant price increase across all festivals.
Spilt Milk alone has ticket prices increasing by $93 from 2016 ($142) to 2025, where a ticket will set music lovers back $238.30.
Note: Average festival price comparison (2015 to present). Source: That Festival Site
Miss Fitzpatrick said that she too spends a small fortune at festivals,
“At a music festival, including ticket, outfit and food for the day, I’d say I spend upwards of $300 to $350, but I would say they’re more expensive lately,” she said.
“I think it is more dependent on the lineup though.”
Additionally, she believes that cheaper tickets or festival discounts should be available for all events.
“I think definitely having discount codes helps for festivals,” she said.
“While promoting festivals, I have met amazing people and it allows the word to get out further along with assisting the average person on costs, even if it’s just a bit.”
Additional 2024 data on the Australians attendance at music events, found most young people face significant barriers when attending festivals with the most prominent being cost.
Source: The Australian Institute
About 45% of young Australians agree that these events are important.
Additional reporting: Patrick Breen