Great Southern Land: Australia market report

Australia has always been tough. A vast brown land at the far end of the Earth, its inhospitableness is matched only by the tenacity of its people. That same grit runs through its music industry – a fiercely resilient ecosystem battered by recent challenges. As Jack Revell reports, it’s not a place to find yourself without a guide.

After pandemic disruption, cost-of-living shocks, and high-profile festival collapses, Australia’s live music industry was feared to be in freefall. Paradoxically, while the eulogies were the highest in the world. Select Music’s Stephen Wade sums it up by saying the model isn’t broken: “If you get it right, it still works.”

Getting it right in 2025, however, looks a little different. The market has sharply recalibrated, driven by shifting audience behaviours. COVID lockdowns and rising costs have created a generation accustomed to staying home and consuming music online. Across demographics, Aussies are buying tickets later and spending less at the bar. Gemma Pollard, marketing director at ticket resale platform Tixel, explains: “People can’t lean on their decades of experience or data to map out their campaigns. What’s worked before might not work this time.”

Still, live music’s appeal is solid. “The appetite from audiences remains high,” Frontier Touring CEO Dion Brant says. Two-thirds of fans surveyed by Tixel attend more or as many gigs as last year. 56% see music as a priority expense. Creative Australia’s Listening In report confirms this, showing audiences are more price-sensitive yet still willing to jump at must-see events.

Those who have adapted to these shifts, from the indies to the multinationals, have flourished. “Australia punches above its weight like nobody’s business,” says Chris O’Brien of Destroy All Lines. “If you build it right, it’s a very lucrative market.”

Increasingly, must-see events are those that resonate with audiences’ identity and give them something to shout about online. “Post-Covid, music fans prioritise live experiences, amplified by social media,” explains Brett Murrihy, head of Asia Pacific at WME. Live Nation’s annual Gen Z study, Love Song, reveals that live music helps form identity and builds community loyalty, with nearly 90% saying it shapes who they are.

“Publicity and media still matter more here than in other markets,” Brant says. Indeed, the Australian media landscape is comparatively concentrated, dominated by three major radio networks with closely aligned digital platforms. Last year, when Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominated national headlines, Aussies splashed AU$126m on tickets alone. Fred again… similarly stormed the country with a ‘surprise’ tour teased on social media that sold out six arenas and iconic venues nationwide.

“It sounds like the world’s oldest living culture, and it sounds like the future”

Scarcity and hype breed premium here, and international acts do well. Domestic acts, by comparison, have found it tougher, with just 17 of them making it in the still-iconic Triple J’s Hottest 100 in 2025. Tixel data also shows that local talent accounted for just 22% of the highest-selling gigs of 2024.

This domestic deficit has become a governmental concern. After decades of neglect, the recently re-electeded Labor Party sees a robust music industry as vital to national identity. The aptly-named Revive programme launched in 2023, dishing out tens of millions in industry funding. Off the back of last year’s festival shocks, a parliamentary inquiry was launched, laying out recommendations for long-term structural reform that Labor is well-placed to enact.

State governments have stepped up, too. Western Australia and Queensland are emphasising major event strategies and investing in new venues. NSW now incentivises international acts to book local support, following the industry code of Michael’s Rule. More local still, councils now offer artists free town hall hire and easier access to public spaces for performance.

Despite these measures, recovery will take time. “Audiences and consumers will not revert to previous patterns,” MusicSA wrote in a parliamentary submission. “Venues and festivals will need to continue to adapt.”

Australia’s live music sector has undoubtedly been challenged, but fundamentally, this will always be a land defined by music – from its indigenous songlines to its superstar exports like AC/DC, Kylie Minogue, and The Kid LAROI. “Our music sounds like indie pop, neo-jazz, electronic, psych rock, country, folk,” Esti Zilber of Sounds Australia says. “It sounds like the world’s oldest living culture, and it sounds like the future.”

Promoters: Titans at the Top, Tensions Below
Australia’s live music ecosystem is dominated by the big three: Live Nation, TEG, and Frontier Touring. Together, they control roughly 90% of the major concert market, according to the parliamentary report. Through vertical integration strategies – owning ticketing infrastructure, marketing, and venues – they’ve weathered post-pandemic storms and expanded their operations across the Asia-Pacific region.

TEG, headquartered in Sydney, exemplifies home-grown success. Their holdings include the major ticketing platform, Ticketek; promotional arms like TEG Live, TEG Dainty, TEG Van Egmond, and Handsome Tours; and some of the nation’s largest stadiums. While they operate internationally from offices in Singapore, the UK, and the US, Tim McGregor, TEG’s global head of touring, still calls Australia its “centre of gravity.” Despite a strong market reputation, the weak Aussie dollar, and high domestic freight costs remain an obstacle. “Economics of touring can be quite challenging compared to other markets,” he explains, stressing the importance of strategic international routing.

“How could we, as an independent, go from the smallest agency in Australia to one of the biggest?”

Frontier Touring, the promotional arm of Mushroom Group, similarly balances domestic and international talent, with artists like Taylor Swift, Leon Bridges, and Spacey Jane. Their strategic partnership with US-based AEG Presents and the absorption of Chugg Entertainment in 2019 has expanded their reach. Brant emphasises Australia’s appeal: “The market is safe, sophisticated, and fans connect passionately with artists. The industry is professional, and standards are as good if not better than anywhere in the world.”

Both Australian giants face increasing competition from US juggernaut Live Nation Entertainment. Since entering the market in 2012, the company has grown its vertically integrated empire through subsidiaries and partnerships. Live Nation Australia, Ticketmaster Australasia, Secret Sounds, and Cult Artists come under their umbrella, as do six major venues and four national festivals. “By leveraging our global resources, the teams can deliver tailored solutions for the Australian market, attracting top artists and offering premium experiences,” says Mark Vaughn, Live Nation’s SVP of concerts and touring.

Yet the brand has faced criticism following last year’s ABC documentary accusing them of “tearing the scene apart.” Live Nation refutes the claims, highlighting their support for over 200 domestic artists in 2024 and their Ones to Watch programme championing emerging talent. Further challenges – including the cancellation of all of their festivals last year – have raised questions over the drift in generalist music tastes, particularly around Splendour in the Grass, once the nation’s answer to Glastonbury.

Industry concerns about promoter dominance are nuanced. Smaller operators have voiced challenges over competitive bidding wars and infrastructural advantages enjoyed by the majors. Others view consolidation as natural in an increasingly globalised industry and encourage agile independents to press their advantages. “If the marketplace was as restrictive as some make out, how could we, as an independent, go from the smallest agency in Australia to one of the biggest?” asks Wade. Bluesfest veteran Peter Noble agrees, saying “Multinationals haven’t destroyed our industry. They just mean you’ve got to get better at it.”

Independent promoters still dominate at the grassroots. Of the 12m contemporary music tickets sold in 2023, nearly 60% were for Australian performers, predominantly at the small-to-mid level. This gives specialisation the edge, exemplified by agencies and promoters like Select Music, Untitled Group, and Destroy All Lines, who carve their niche through genre expertise and fan-driven curation.

“You need the stadium fillers and the pub gigs. One sustains the other. That’s what a grown-up market looks like”

Untitled’s Nicholas Greco attributes their success to such curation: “We listen carefully to what fans want and earn their trust over time.” Emerging from Melbourne’s underground scene, Untitled has built a national profile with festivals like Beyond the Valley and Pitch Music & Arts, touring domestic stars like Rüfüs Du Sol and internationals like Kaytranada.

Destroy All Lines has similarly flourished by leveraging deep expertise in punk, hardcore, and metal. Their Good Things Festival remains a standout success in the alt-rock space, and they’ve expanded into Afrobeat, funk, and hip-hop by hiring genre specialists who know those audiences.

As the majors grow, cooperation rather than competition is often the reality. “We work with all the big promoters,” Wade explains, highlighting that successful market growth and next-gen artist development involves collaboration, particularly under Michael’s Rule.

“You need both,” summarises Helen Glengarry of Invest Gold Coast. “You need the stadium fillers and the pub gigs. One sustains the other. That’s what a grown-up market looks like.”

Festivals: Reset, Reinvent, Reconnect
If any part of Australia’s live sector captures the recent turmoil, it’s the festival circuit. Last year’s cancellation of Splendour sent shockwaves through the industry. Soon after, the multi-city Groovin the Moo went on hiatus, as did the rural shindig the Big Red Bash, alongside dozens of smaller festivals. O’Brien puts it bluntly: “There’s been a bloodbath over the last couple of years.”

Upon reflection, 2024 seems less like a death knell and more a necessary reset. Many cancelled events are planning their return, suggesting renewed market optimism. Wade says it was a long overdue recalibration: “We were punching stupidly above our weight in festivals per capita. It’s just supply and demand.” Indeed, with tumultuous global conditions and 535 festivals nationwide, some industry correction seemed inevitable. In truth, only 40 of them were knocked out.

“It’s not just the music. We’re really trying to blow people away”

The shakeout does however reflect deeper shifts in audience preferences. Greco sees the turbulence as a result of outdated business models: “Brands that didn’t understand their Gen Z audience saw a sudden shift.” Tixel data bears this out: 63% of festivalgoers prefer genre-focused lineups while nearly half say festivals are fading in relevance.

Operators who have kept pace and offered sharper, more focussed experiences are still going strong, something Wade sees as evidence the simplistic economic argument doesn’t fit: “Saying festivals aren’t working because of cost of living is so fucking generic. If festivals aren’t working, why did Laneway do the most tickets it’s ever done?” Indeed, the strongest performers in 2024–25 were those with clarity of purpose and community baked in. Laneway, Beyond the Valley, Lost Paradise, and Wildlands all posted record numbers. DAL’s Knotfest also returned for a third year to riotous acclaim.

Noting the samey lineups Aussies have clearly rejected, Noble says that “multiple festivals that are facsimiles of others” are done. He argues that Bluesfest’s 35-year success comes down to its focus on talent-nurturing and community-building. “We’re an artists’ festival,” he says. “Artists cause your event to be successful.”

Untitled, whose core audience is Gen Z, underscore that audience and identity are more powerful here than the cost of living. Despite having been hit hardest by economic pressures, “They’ll find a way to attend the must-attend events,” Greco explains. Events like Beyond the Valley succeed because they prioritise immersive, community-driven experiences. “It’s not just the music. We’re really trying to blow people away,” he adds.

Still, economic pressures cannot be ignored entirely. Listening In identifies cost as the number one barrier to attendance – not just of tickets but travel, food, and accommodation. While techniques like the adoption of payment plans, trialled successfully by Untitled, have seen growing popularity, government support has often been essential.

States tend to compete for cultural acclaim. Victoria has its Regional Events Fund and Multicultural Festivals programme providing grants to bolster festival viability. South Australia, historically proactive in event funding, is reaping strategic rewards. “The premier over there is investing heavily in events, creating a culture of premium experiences in that market,” McGregor says, noting that Adelaide is “Having an absolute purple patch at the moment.”

“People want a 4D experience. It’s music and light shows; art and communal feasting; a street party and something spiritual”

Queensland has similarly delivered targeted festival support totalling AU$9.1m over the last two years, while NSW provided AU$2m through its Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund. Noble argues, however, this reactive funding lacks strategic vision. “Compared to Queensland, NSW’s support pales in significance, considering the hundreds of millions [of dollars] festivals generate in tourism.”

At the grassroots level, local councils have also stepped up. Glengarry points to DJ Fisher’s 30,000-capacity Out 2 Lunch Festival, launched in 2023, rapidly selling out on its debut and its 2024 return. “The Gold Coast is fast-tracking permits and being nimble about industry support at the moment.”

Festival organisers acknowledge the onus remains on them to deliver compelling experiences. Tasmania’s Dark Mofo paused in 2024 to reassess finances and creative direction. “It was a bold decision,” says music director Kimberley Galceran, “but in hindsight, we’re grateful we took the time to ground ourselves for an extra year before forging ahead.” Returning refreshed, Dark Mofo has matched pre-Covid ticket sales by delivering multidimensional shows: “People want a 4D experience. It’s music and light shows; art and communal feasting; a street party and something spiritual.”

Similarly, Spilt Milk, headlined by Kendrick Lamar and Doechii, returned this year to sell faster than ever. One- or two-day, city-focused festivals like these are becoming central to Live Nation’s strategy, Vaughan says.

Australian Festival Association CEO Olly Arkins believes the worst is now behind the industry. With a season to “catch their breath,” festivals have regained clarity. “It’s been a difficult, long recovery,” they say, “but I feel we’ve turned a corner this season. People have their confidence back. I’m really optimistic about next summer.”

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