The Australian Festival Association (AFA) has called on the government to better fund music festivals with two in five events experiencing a major impact due to a lack of funding.
The call comes after the Soundcheck Report, commissioned by Creative Australia, revealed 47 per cent of festival organisers believe rising operational costs have had a severe or major impact on their festival.
AFA Managing Director Mitch Wilson said ticket sales have decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic and there is a need to increase funding to continue producing Australian music festivals.
“Post COVID, ticketing margins have tightened and now organisers are facing statistics like 95% of tickets to be sold just to cover your costs,” Mx Wilson said.
Organisers have faced unprecedented circumstances over the past 12 months, including the recently improved mandate for onsite medical and harm prevention services by NSW Health.
“There are a whole range of costs contributing to those precarious situations that are actually government imposed,” Mx Wilson said.
“Whether that be user policing or private medical providers that are actually mandated by the NSW health department as well as government-owned venues.
“There are ways the government could assist the cost burden on organisers when the margins are this tight.”
Greens Spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the call to support local and independent festivals has been proposed for the May 2024 Budget.
“I have recently written to the Minister for the Arts to ask that the Government commit to a funding and support package for festivals in the May Budget,” Ms Hanson-Young said.
“This is not just about the big name, corporate-backed festivals, but more importantly, it’s about supporting local and independent festivals.”
Mx Wilson explained that the national cost-of-living crisis has drastically affected the amount of money people can budget for entertainment purposes.
“Across the country, we’ve seen everyone’s budgets tighten,” Mx Wilson said.
“We can see 18-24-year-olds buying tickets at lower rates compared (to) prior to the pandemic.
“Previously, they were the biggest ticket-holder/buying age group and now that is no longer the case.
“That’s due mainly to the increases in rent and broader costs of living – this is where young Australians have been hit particularly hard.”
Mr Wilson said that without further help from the government, further festivals were at risk of being cancelled, as was the fate of Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo.
Additional research by Hayley Prenter