The Albanese Government has announced a new initiative supporting live music venues and festivals, providing 105 organisations with funding for performance costs and upgrades, including to improve accessibility for people with a disability.
59 music festivals and 46 live music venues will receive support as part of the Revive Live program, ensuring they remain open and accessible for all audiences, particularly in regional and remote areas across Australia.
Festival recipients including the NT’s Desert Harmony Festival, which will receive $100,000; Victoria’s Ability Fest, which will also receive $100,000; Wollongong’s Yours & Owls, which will get $250,000; and Tasmania’s Party in the Paddock, which will receive $200,000.
Venues like Freo Social in Western Australia and Queensland’s The Cave Inn will also get funding to upgrade their infrastructure, and for production and equipment costs.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the program is continuing to provide much-needed support at a particularly difficult time for the Australian live music industry.
“We understand the challenges contributing to cancellations and closures among the live music scene, that’s why the Albanese Labor Government established Revive Live, to provide targeted support,” he said. “Venue and festival owners across Australia have told me that Revive Live has provided the support they need to continue hosting and promoting live music.”
Burke said gigs have always been a huge part of his life, and he knows the vital role live music venues and festivals play in supporting local artists.
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“Music lovers should be able to enjoy local gigs, artists should be able to make a career out of their music and Revive Live is doing just that,” he said.
Through Revive, the Government last year established Music Australia within Creative Australia, with new funding of more than $69 million to support and promote the Australian contemporary music industry to increase discoverability and develop markets and audiences.
For the full list of funding recipients, see here.
