NSW Government Adopts 'Michael's Rule' For International Acts Playing Sydney's Largest Venues

The New South Wales government is the first to adopt Michael’s Rule in Australia. The initiative will have Australian artists open for some of the biggest international acts in the world on NSW’s largest stages.

After last year’s AAM Awards, the Senior Managers of the Association of Artist Managers revealed that they wanted to see Michael’s Rule enshrined into law in tribute to Michael McMartin, who passed away last year.

Michael McMartin was Hoodoo Gurus’ manager for 41 years. Throughout his career as an artist manager, he advocated for a mandatory Australian support act for international tours. He and others at AAM campaigned for decades to make it compulsory for at least one local artist to share a tour poster and stage on an international tour visiting Australia.

Michael’s Rule has three pillars, and they are:

1. Every international artist must have an Australian act among their support acts.

2. The Australian artist must share the same stage as the international act and benefit from reasonable sound and lighting.

3. The Australian artist must be announced on the initial international artist’s tour announcement so that they can receive necessary marketing and promotion.

The NSW Labor government, led by Chris Minns, will trial the incentive for two years, starting today. The government will incentivise international touring acts to add an Australian support act when they perform at the state’s largest venues by introducing a reduced venue hire fee at the following venues:

• Accor Stadium

• Allianz Stadium

• CommBank Stadium

• McDonald Jones Stadium

• Newcastle Entertainment Centre

• Sydney Cricket Ground

• WIN Stadium & Entertainment Centre

• Sydney Opera House

The NSW Government will reduce the venue hire fee by $20,000 at eligible venues on the Venues NSW network, and a $5,000 reduction at the Sydney Opera House.

Australian acts who have (and will) benefit from Michael’s Rule include Ball Park Music (opening for Oasis this October and November), Kita Alexander (opened for Dua Lipa), Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers (opened for Pearl Jam), Hoodoo Gurus (opened for Lou Reed in the ‘80s), Cold Chisel (opened for Foreigner in the ‘70s), You Am I (opened for Soundgarden in the ‘90s), and The Presets (opened for Daft Punk in 2007).

In a statement, Chris Minns pointed to the opportunities presented to Hoodoo Gurus and shared his hopes that today’s artists could experience the same thing.

“The Hoodoo Gurus got their first big break after they performed with Lou Reed in 1984,” Minns said.

“We want more Australian musicians to have that opportunity, performing on the biggest stages in NSW alongside the best international artists. 

"Giving Aussie artists their first big break in front of thousands of locals will help them get high rotation on playlists and increase their chances of becoming the next big act.” 

The NSW Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, pointed out that Australian music is in crisis, with American music taking over the charts and streaming platforms and leaving local music undiscovered.

“There were just three Australian albums in the ARIA Top 100 charts in 2024. This represents a crisis for Australian music,” Graham said.

“The rise of streaming is flooding our market with American music and creating a roadblock for NSW artists trying to break through. By adopting Michael’s Rule, we will get more local acts onto the big stage.”

Graham continued, “While local shows are suffering, fans are still paying the big money for big international acts. Michael’s Rule will help our local artists capture that attention. 

“We want Australian artists to benefit from international touring revenue so they can build their own careers and take our music to the world. Successful bands and artists at the top of the industry are an important part of the overall scene in NSW, which supports 14,000 jobs and adds $5.5 billion to the state economy. 

“We congratulate the NSW Government on becoming the first in Australia to turn Michael’s Rule from a powerful idea into practical policy,” said ARIA and PPCA CEO Annabelle Herd in a statement. “Incentivising international acts to feature local artists as support on major stages creates tangible opportunities, ensuring more Australian talent is exposed directly to larger audiences and new fans.

“Live performance remains one of the most effective ways to build meaningful fan relationships and career momentum, we know Aussie fans are willing to spend big to see their favourite international acts, and this policy has huge potential to significantly boost our local music ecosystem: from grassroots artists and venues to production crews and wider communities.

“Music is a huge part of what makes a future worth investing in – something we have said a lot around the federal election – but today’s announcement proves genuine leadership can and should come from all levels of government. This commitment recognised how essential live music is to both our cultural identity and economic growth. We look forward to seeing this initiative unlock exciting new opportunities for Australian artists.”

Maggie Collins, Executive Director of the Association Of Artist Managers agreed that the potential for rising artists to benefit from Michael’s Rule is huge.

"This is innovative leadership on a whole new level, and we cannot commend the Minns Government enough for developing this policy and turning Michael's Rule into a reality in the state of NSW,” said Collins.

“By this incentive being implemented, international artists now have 20,000 more reasons to add a local act to their lineup, and the result for Australian artists will be 10 times that in the long run. This is a win for audiences too, as they get exposed to their next favourite local artist (if the headliner they came for has anything to do with it).

“We started this campaign in the name of Michael McMartin OAM, who called for the return of local supports on international tours back at the AAM Awards in 2023,” she added. “We know he would have been stoked with this result and we'd like to especially thank the Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, the Hon. John Graham, for his support for this cause, and our entire industry, since day dot.

“Our only hope now is for the same policy to be taken up by more States and Territories across Australia, as not only would the ripple effect establish long-term careers, it would stimulate local economies and strengthen the domestic music market, in a time of great need."

Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers said: “We are so happy to hear the news that the NSW Government are taking these steps to support Michael's Rule. We received the news at the airport on our way to Nashville to support Pearl Jam, so we are proof that having Australian artists on international tours at home really does impact careers. Hopefully, other states will join the call!” 

Ball Park Music added: “There’s no denying the benefit of a big support slot. The opportunity to play your music live in front of a new audience is the best marketing we have as artists, the chance to showcase what we’re all about in the most real and authentic fashion. 

“In our career to date, we’ve had - and continue to get - great support slots where we’ve seen a direct growth in our audience that often translates to a boost in our number of long-term fans, none of which would have discovered us without that exposure.  

“Any initiative that can help amplify Australian talent, increase exposure, and aid in building a long-term and engaged audience is a massive step in the right direction.”