Labor announces $50k grants for Victorian music festivals

Organisers of live music festivals across the country have faced a “challenging time”. That’s why this move has been called a “game changer”.

Grants of up to $50,000 will be available to Victorian festival organisers to boost the state’s live entertainment sector and bring more events to music lovers.

Operators of festivals with more than 1000 attendees will be eligible to apply for a grant from February 25 as part of a new round of the Labor Government’s Live Music Festivals Fund delivered by Music Victoria.

Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said music festivals across the country had faced a “challenging time”.

“Victoria’s music festivals are the lifeblood of communities across our state,” he said.

“They provide jobs for event workers, they’re a rite of passage for young music lovers, and they provide real opportunity for artists to build their careers.”

The first round of the Live Music Festivals Fund in 2024 awarded grants to 22 festivals, with almost two-thirds from regional Victoria.

Echuca-Moama’s Riverboats Festival kicks off this weekend on the Murray River after receiving a Live Music Festivals Fund grant in 2024. Picture: Supplied

Previous grant recipients include Echuca-Moama’s Riverboats Festival, which kicks off this weekend on the Murray River, and roots and folk music festival CresFest, running April 4-6.

CresFest co-director Judy Turner said the grant was a “game changer” for the festival.

“It means we can finally stop worrying about the last-minute nature of ticket sales, and in another brilliant thing for our town, this funding has enabled CresFest to contribute to making events at the Creswick Courthouse accessible to all,” she said.

The Live Music Festivals Fund is part of a bigger push from Labor to boost the state’s music industry amid a challenging operating environment.

The live entertainment industry is operating in a ‘challenging’ environment. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Other programs include 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund, which is open for applications from music venues, Music Works grants for musicians and music workers, and the new Victorian Music Industry Advisory Council.

Acting Music Victoria chief executive Kirsty Rivers said the peak music body was proud to back the government’s “vital ongoing investment” in live entertainment.

“Our festivals are an essential part of Victoria’s cultural life and bring connections, opportunity and employment to artists, creative workers, and local communities,” she said.

Applications for the Live Music Festivals Fund open on Tuesday, February 25 at 10am and close on Tuesday, March 25 at 2pm.

Originally published as Labor announces $50k grants for Victorian music festivals