Industry Reacts To Bluesfest Cancellation: 'This Is A Watershed Moment'

Musicians and industry have reacted to the cancellation of this year's Bluesfest. 

News broke yesterday afternoon that this weekend's scheduled event had been cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Byron Bay. 

Live Performance Australia's chief executive Evelyn Richardson is among those calling for greater support from the Federal Government. 

“One case of community transmission has shut down a major regional event with a $10 million plus loss that will destroy a business with a thirty-year trading history owned by someone who is risking everything to run his event in a Covid safe manner," she said in a statement today. 

"LPA has been calling for a Business Interruption Fund since last year. This is now a matter of urgency. It should be top of the agenda at the next National Cabinet meeting on 9 April.

“This has cost hundreds of jobs, musicians who were about to perform their first gig in a year have been shut down, thousands of people who were attending the seated, CovidSafe approved event have been turned away, and the local regional economy has been severely impacted. We call on the NSW Government to step up and provide support to Bluesfest to ensure it survives a second shut down due to public health directives.

“This is irrefutable proof that a business interruption fund is critical to the survival of live entertainment events in an environment where no promoter or producer can get insurance.

“This is a watershed moment. Our industry has worked with all governments to get our people back to work, our shows back on stage and touring. However, continued snap lockdowns and border restrictions are killing consumer and industry confidence. We have been shut down for a year. We can’t survive the next six to twelve months without some form of insurance.

“We are not privy to the health advice, however we are an industry, like others, trying to get back on our feet and get our people back to work.

“At which point do we move to living with COVID? Our industry is getting theatre shows back on stage while we look to October to kick start our live music sector. We need certainty that we’re not going to be shut down and that our governments can respond and manage community transmission.

“We all know that COVID is with us for a long time so we need to reframe the national narrative around this.

“We are also very concerned about the vaccine rollout which appears to have stalled. Urgent attention needs to be given to ramping up the rollout nationally. It’s time for a military style operation so we can avoid closures like this in the future."

APRA AMCOS have also joined the calls saying, "This is devastating for Bluesfest and all the artists, crews, managers, promoters and music industry workers who had critical work coming. It highlights the urgency for government to partner with industry on an insurance scheme to help create some certainty for live music" while Shadow Minister for Music and the Night Time Economy John Graham is urging state, territory and federal Governments to create a "business insurance fund". 

ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd has called the cancellation "a devastating blow" and "a huge setback for Peter Noble and his team, the artists, industry workers, and businesses in Byron who have all worked so hard to get this event and live music back on its feet". 

See more reactions below.