Festivals fight to stay afloat

Australia hosted more than 10 festivals per week in 2022-23, but with rising costs some of the country’s most iconic festivals have fallen under. Well known events such as Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Groovin’ the Moo and Listen Out have disappeared in recent years.

“If you break even, that’s considered a big win,” said Hopkins Creek Festival co-director Josh Keys.

47 per cent of festival organisers said rising operational costs are having a severe or major impact on them, according to research by Creative Australia, the Australian government’s main funding body for the arts. Higher operational costs have seen higher ticket prices, and with a cost-of-living crisis, many festivals have not survived.

Hopkins Creek was born ten years ago, beginning as a birthday party in the bush, or a ‘bush doof,’ for Mr Key’s younger brother. Now, Hopkins Creek is an official, ticketed event that expects to welcome approximately 3,000 people in 2025.

“Festivals are like people’s church these days. It’s where people go to feel something,” said Keys.

“I think festivals and raves are often misunderstood. Anyone that's been to a rave knows they are the most, peaceful and safe place,” he said.

Keys is worried about what could happen to music festivals if conditions do not improve.

“Before it even gets to people buying tickets to the festivals, it’s going to be too big a risk for the people throwing the events.”

“The numbers just don’t add up,” he said.

On top of rising costs, 39 per cent of festival organisers said a lack of government funding was a major barrier and 31 per cent blamed insurance costs. Additionally, 22 per cent said unpredictable weather events were also a major restraint, according to Creative Australia’s Soundcheck report.

“In order to save our festivals…like any minority or group that feels misunderstood, we need more representation at council and government level,” Keys said.

After ten years of officially operating, Hopkins Creek received their first government incentive through a grant. The festival is run by a team that all have separate full-time jobs and all profit goes straight toward funding the following year.

Keys said that drawing attention to the way arts funding is being spent could be life saving for the festival industry.

“There is no doubt there is ‘money’ for the arts, but say for example it’s $70 billion, it will go to things like Snoop Dog playing at the AFL or Robbie Williams at Fed Square,” he said.

Keys said Hopkins Creek and other Australian festivals continue to work out of “passion” in order to survive, but he fears what the future will look like if things do not change.