27/03/2024
So many music festivals cancelled in Australia. Wow...not much said by gov't or industry about the absolute crisis now prevailing. In 2022 alone, more than 20 festivals were cancelled (not because of Covid), but due to extreme weather.
Two years on and people are dealing with several issues trailing the pandemic (this does not seem to be discussed very much publicly at all in Australia). Work as usual is emanated from government & council. Nothing could be further from the truth for live music events.
The effects of climate change on the music festival industry haven't really been consciously comprehended by too many folk as of yet. Australia IS & WILL continue to be extremely vulnerable/susceptible in this context due to its lack of climate policy, procedures, initiative & innovation. If Australia wants its beloved imported big names touring Down Under, gov't & industry had better wake up pretty quickly...and audiences had better be prepared to make earlier financial commitments to live events. Non-commitment = zero reliability & a complete lack of sustainable productivity across the entire industry.
The less formal infrastructure is made available for performing artists at home, the more Australian artists will leave to be based overseas. The longer Australian artists are based overseas, the less tax, knowledge, legacy, succession & diversity the industry in Australia acquires. People don't realise until it's too late in many professional cases. Moreover, Regional Australia is hanging on by a thread at most due to ill-prepared extreme weather precautions & a huge lack of support for their own professional skill base.
Is the industry doing enough to mitigate the impact of climate change on music festivals?
