Splendour In The Grass? Cancelled. Falls Festival? Did not happen. Groovin the Moo? RIP. Music lovers across NSW mourned the day the music died for these fab festivals – but if you’ve packed away your gumboots and glitter, there’s good news. The NSW Government has just stepped in to help five music festivals avoid the fate suffered by many others forced to fold in recent years – and the revival of Spilt Milk is proof that things are on the up.
The first round of the Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund, established in September 2024, has allocated a combined $2.25 million of emergency funding to five music fests. The lucky winners are Bluesfest in Byron Bay, Lost Paradise on the Central Coast, Yours and Owls in Wollongong, plus Listen Out and Field Day (both held in Sydney). Missed out on scoring funding for your favourite fest? Applications for the next round of funding open from May 1.
Even before the pandemic, music festivals have felt the impact of rising costs, inflation, insurance nightmares, and changes in ticket buying, so this financial support has hit the right note in helping festivals manage costs while keeping the vibe alive.
After all, music festivals aren’t just fun – they’re big business, too. NSW’s festival scene supports over 14,000 jobs and pumps big bucks into local economies. Bluesfest, which was supposed to be in its final year this Easter long weekend, is proof of how ticket sales and financial help make such a big difference. Music lovers bought tickets thinking it would be their last chance to attend Bluesfest; this resulted in over 109,000 attendees – the third largest crowd in the event's 35-year history. For the promoters, it was proof enough that people want music festivals – and contrary to their “last ever Bluesfest” marketing strategy for 2025, they’re already planning for 2026.
The Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham who attended Bluesfest, explained: “The post-Covid era has been a financial nightmare for music festivals in NSW… the feedback is that this fund has helped some of these festivals survive. People of all ages love the outdoor music festival experience and the artists they discover. The festival circuit is a vital part of the live music industry which employs almost 15,000 people. It’s too important to lose, that’s why we’re backing festivals with emergency funding and reforms that bring down their costs.”
Find out more about the Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund here.
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