A recent article by Christie Eliezer on themusic.com.au discusses the challenges for Australian Festivals as well as the impact. It highlights the Hawkridge Entertainment Services report on the impact of the Sydney Fringe Festival.
The behavioral shifts among festival-goers during and post-COVID have made it increasingly challenging for event promoters to effectively engage their audience. Several festivals have struggled to attract attendees, leading to the cancellation of events such as Playing The Plains, Lunar Electric, Let’s Wing It, and Coastal Country, primarily due to insufficient ticket sales. This trend highlights a disconnect that has emerged as consumer preferences and financial capacities evolve in the face of ongoing economic pressures.
Economic factors have significantly impacted even Australia’s most popular festival brands known for their robust followings. Notably, Bluesfest in Byron Bay saw a considerable drop in attendance this year, with only 62,463 people compared to its usual crowd of around 100,000. Similarly, Splendour In The Grass experienced a significant decline in ticket sales, only selling 35,000 tickets, a 30% drop from previous years. Co-promoter Jessica Ducrou attributes this downturn to the current economic situation, indicating a broader trend affecting the festival circuit.
Despite these challenges, some events like Spilt Milk are bucking the trend, demonstrating strong demand and rapid sell-outs. This festival has expanded its reach and is now anticipating its largest event ever with new locations like Perth added to the lineup. The success of Spilt Milk, marked by quick pre-sales and sell-outs, contrasts sharply with other festivals’ struggles, illustrating the variability in the festival market. This divergence in fortunes showcases the complexities of the festival industry, where some brands manage to thrive while others falter under economic and behavioral pressures.
A report released in late June revealed how the Adelaide Fringe (February 17 to March 19) became the first Australian festival to break 1 million tickets.
The Fringe – which included music from Electric Dreams, Marcia Hines, The 27 Club, DJ, Hot Dub Time Machine and Louise Blackwell – generated $105.5 million in expenditure for South Australia – a 40% increase in 2022.
Similarly, a new impact report by Hawkridge Entertainment Services in June forecasts that the Sydney Fringe in September could repeat its achievements from 2022.
These included injecting $36 million to NSW, a box office of $2 million and a crowd of 75,000.
Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 (June 9 to 24) pulled more than 50,000 – almost 10,000 more than last year but far from the record 80,000 of 2010 – with 30 sold-out shows over 12 days.
