Festivals & Music Venues Receive Fresh 'Revive' Government Funding

Queensland country music festival, the Gympie Music Muster, Tasmanian music festival Party In The Paddock, and Victorian music venue Howler have received fresh funding through the federal government’s Revive Live program.

Through Revive Live, the federal government provides fresh grants totalling $7.7 million to 110 organisations, including 61 festival-based events and 49 live music venues in the 2024-2025 period.

Gympie, Party In The Paddock, and Howler are just three of the successful applicants. You can find information about the Revive Live program here.

The grants provide funding to help boost venues and festivals during difficult circumstances, improve accessibility, support live music in regional and remote areas, offer opportunities for First Nations and LGBTQIA+ artists and audiences, and support all-ages events.

Today, the government announced that the Gympie Music Muster has received $60,000 to showcase First Nations Artists and Emerging Artists at next year’s event, Party In The Paddock will receive $168,121 to increase accessibility and continue supporting local and national artists, and Brunswick music venue Howler will receive over $60,000 for needed sound and facility upgrades and marketing.

The federal Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said of the funding: “It’s no secret that the live music industry has been facing many challenges.

“Revive Live will alleviate some of the additional costs that festivals and venues are facing right now, ensuring artists are paid, venues stay open, and audiences can continue to enjoy live music into the future.”

The federal government opened up applications for the Revive Live program back in August, revealing that its latest grant is available for “established live music venues and contemporary music festivals” that work to showcase Australian artists.

Revive Live is linked closely to the Albanese Labor Government’s National Cultural Policy, Revive, launched last year by the government’s music establishment, Music Australia, within Creative Australia.

The government has committed $69 million to supporting and promoting Australian contemporary music, aiming to increase discoverability, assist in developing new markets, and expand audiences.

Earlier this year, Burke remarked that Revive has been a “game-changer for the arts in Australia” one year after its launch.