NSW Government Delivers Support To Music Festivals

The state government of New South Wales has fulfilled its promise to review the Music Festivals Act and has, as a result, developed new “regulatory and financial support” for the state’s struggling music festivals.

After reviewing the Music Festivals Act, the government found that the established regulatory framework could benefit from a closer examination of harm reduction, industry sustainability, and bringing costs for operating festivals in NSW in line with those of other states. 

As part of the reforms, music festivals across the state will receive two years of emergency funding assistance. The funding will begin with an initial $3 million allocated, and sector-wide reforms will be seen as the events struggle with the current economy and other struggles leading to numerous cancelled events.

In addition to announcing the reforms and support today, the NSW state government plans to introduce amendments to the Music Festival Act to Parliament, hoping to implement changes ahead of the summer festival season.

Today’s announcement follows the establishment of the two-year Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund, which aims to improve short-term viability for festival operators and assist contemporary music festivals in NSW.

Sound NSW established the fund to help the industry cope with financial pressures, including rising costs, inflation, freight, and currency exchange. The fund will offer support to the state’s existing large-scale contemporary music festivals, which deliver $500,000 in outcomes per festival.

Available for two years, the fund will go to festivals with a capacity of holding 15,000 punters or more. The fund opens this month and closes on 30 June 2026, accepting applications at any time on a needs basis.  

In a statement, the state’s Minister for Music and the Night-Time Economy, John Graham, said of today’s announcement, “NSW has had a strong music festival sector, but it has been under intense pressure. We have seen the chickens come home to roost after years of pressure, with major festivals failing.”

Adding that festivals provide an “important place” for music fans to form community, support artists they love, and discover new music, Graham said that festivals aren’t just facing struggles in Australia, but there is a uniquely Australian problem: “the increased price of doing business, the costs of living crisis and changing audience behaviours. We know these challenges have been felt acutely in NSW thanks to overlapping and confusing regulations.”

Graham continued, “We made a commitment to review the Music Festivals Act, and now that review is complete, we are introducing these reforms to strengthen our support for these vital live music events.

“Through these proposed amendments, our music festival funding package, and our ongoing Vibrancy Reforms, we are seeking to make NSW a more vibrant place for live music to thrive.”