Is Australia’s Music Festival Industry In Trouble?

Splendour in the Grass has been cancelled for 2024.

The music festival was also cancelled on its first day in 2022 due to flooding, and last year ticket sales were down 30 per cent.

Event management and public relations expert Robert Gill says that Splendour “probably became too much of a financial risk for the organisers to push ahead.”

He joins Bension Siebert on The Briefing to explain what the future might hold for the Australian music festival industry:

“The festival industry is going through some pretty rapid change and a lot of challenges from all different areas,” Gill says.

From paying more for big acts, to increased insurance due to weather risks, event organisers are putting down more money before ticket sales come in.

The ticket alone can cost hundreds of dollars for festival-goers before taking into account expensive food and drink options.

With the increased price of attending a music festival, festival-goers might be looking at the line-up of artists.

“They’re looking for value for money at the moment,” Gill says.

“People now seem to be a little bit more picky and little bit more risk averse.”

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