Following the news that there will be a Bluesfest in 2026, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young and Richmond Candidate Mandy Nolan launched the Greens festivals support package at Bluesfest on Saturday.
The package is part of the broader arts package already launched by the Greens.
Bluesfest Festival Director, Peter Noble, was at the launch to support the announcement – Noble having experienced first-hand the lack of government support for his event in recent years.
Festivals are in crisis
Greens spokesperson for the arts, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, said that festivals are in crisis. ‘Over the past few years we have seen the cancellation after cancellation of loved and iconic festivals. It’s clear that the government needs to step in to help the industry.
‘The Albanese government made some big promises to the arts industry when they were first elected. Almost three years on they have failed to deliver. A plan for the arts is nothing without the funding required to support the industry.
‘The Greens plan for supporting our festivals takes a holistic view of what the sector needs. This means direct support in the form of grants, a review of the market failure in insurance for live events, a federal strategy for the sustainability of festivals across the country into the future and tax offsets for both venues and artists.’
$20 million a year in grants for festivals
The policy will see an allocation of $20 million a year in grants for festivals, including higher maximum grants and the ability to use funds for developing on-site infrastructure, from within the Greens’ $200m per year Arts funding commitment.
The plan would also see $2m for a review to investigate the market failure of insurance in the live music industry and options to establish a government backed insurance scheme; the creation of a festivals strategy through Music Australia to ensure federal and state government coordination and support; tax offsets for touring artists and venues that host live performances – 10 per cent tax offsets for the costs of hosting live music and 50 per cent tax offset for travel expenses; and support that can benefit small businesses running festivals, with the establishment of a small business incubator and extension of the $20,000 instant asset write-off until July 1, 2026.
Greens Candidate for Richmond, Mandy Nolan, said events like Bluesfest are crucial to the local economy. ‘We are one of the top regions in the country for cultural tourism. I understand Bluesfest is close to selling out this year and this delivers a huge injection into everything from hospitality, retail and our local arts scene.’
Artists Living Wage trial
Mandy Nolan says, ‘The Greens plan for an Artists Living Wage trial is another way we are supporting the arts community here in Richmond. With almost 5,000 arts workers in the Northern Rivers region, the arts are important to our economy, identity and culture. As a local Greens MP, I would push for this area to be a key site in any trial.’
Ms Nolan said that as a creative herself, she is in touch with many people in the creative community.
‘I know how important it is to support the arts in our community. Events like festivals are really a huge signature of who we are, and they’re part of our celebrations of how we come together as a community. I want us to see us building our festivals and events, not losing them.’
A solution for the longevity
‘It’s really important as a creative to be to be part of a solution for the longevity of this event,’ said Ms Nolan.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said festivals have always been part of the beating heart of the music industry in Australia. ‘I have known ever since I was a teenager that festivals are the way you discover music – you learn to share it with your friends and family.
‘You get to see your big stars and the people that you really admire and listen to every day, but you get to discover new talent and emerging artists, and it’s that bringing together of all of those things that is so important.’
This is one of the best Green policies!
No policy the greens come out with means a thing. List the policies that the greens went to last election with that they implemented
This weeks echo identifies a koala in the event site. The first three years of the festival Byron Council received the Consent Condition of an anual koala Report, which identified multiple Koala deaths on the site anually. After the first three years the responsability of a Report went to a private certifyer and the Reports werent public. The Koala seen at this latest event may not survive their stress response (likely in nature a natural response to stress from an over population of other Koalas seeking limited food and mating options). And where is the Greens consideration on this, from the Greens Mandy Nolan and Sarah Hanson Young, – free tickets? ( like the political donations of free tickets to Splendour from a Splendour principle who is also a major Byron property developer – Greens “No property developer donations” oh yes they do!). And a Greens Policy that doesnt consider the environmental impacts on our Koala population that is heading for local extinction?
Really?
This sounds like throwing good money after bad and very unsustainable.
Why spend taxpayers money propping up private festivals who are going broke because of poor line-ups and everything becoming so expensive they have priced themselves out of reach of ordinary people?
All the cost of living relief put together would not buy you a schooner of beer (in a plastic cup) or a feed, let alone a day ticket at these festivals.
There might be an economic argument for a festival in mid-winter propping up local businesses but everything will be booked solid over easter anyway.
Unless this goes to the grassroots this is just corporate welfare that benefits very few.
Byron, good questions asked. The Justine merrily blew $’s100,000 of OUR money on her Splendour Not splendid spenda. We want OUR refund.
Joachim , the only question being asked here is why someone from not around here is so intent on constantly peddling this spurious misinformation about Splendour in the grass??????? and fictional “missing money”
Splendour was fined $100,000 for its last flooded debacle, and then the State Govt gave them $100,000 in suport
So, after reading the article regarding the funding of the Arts industry the current Commonwealth government failed once it seems to met itself to long list of failed promises for Australian people.
It only proves that his government cannot be trusted on any level of the economy as seen over the last three years in office.
It seemingly only wanting to try and emulate the actions of the Whitlam era by accomodating First Nations peoples before considering the average Australian on issues surrounding their ever increasing cost of living on electricity, food and other various sectors of the economy.
Or, if re-elected will it fulfil the promises that it made to the Australia people approximately three years ago?
Shaun, are you seriously trying to blame the Federal Labor Govt because music festivals are having financial problems??????? It seems that you are nothing more than a serial whinger constantly looking for something to whinge about, ever considered going somewhere else to live, maybe some utopian place where Govts wipe their citizens backsides for them.
💚Keithy💚, all we want to know is where our $’s100,000 Splendour NOT splendid spenda has gone?
You’re just regurgitating stuff you hear on places like Sky after dark. The only undertaking that Labor took to the election that they haven’t delivered is the change to the stage 3 tax cuts. Thats one I’m not unhappy about! Are you?
Did Mandy and Sarah buy their tickets to Bluesfest or were they a freebies?
Tax payers have a right to know of any vested interests.
Peter said it was the last Bluefest. Was that a massive fib to stimulate massive crowds?
Show the public the books if you would like public support.
The Greens have had 10’s of thousands of dollars of free VIP tickets to Splendour and Falls for years. I had successful Complaints to the dept of Local Govt upheld about former mayor Richardson receiving free tickets to Splendour and Blues. Sarah Hansen Young received free VIP tickets for herself and familly member to Splendour (and used her parliamentary travel alowance to fly up here from South Australia, where she stayed in Byron in a residential house used as a holiday let), and she spoke in parliament for the Govt to subsidise such events. And noting that the free Splendour/Falls tickets were from one of the principles of those events that continues to have major development before Byron Council. Have asked on of the Greens polies thatatended, and the local Greens Party Convenor, for details, but no answers. Snouts in the trough of local developer largess, in my opinion.
Did Sarah walk from south australia?
Where’s the talk of a regional transport plan so both residents and visitors can be safely dispersed throughout our region -to and from the communities where people live and want to go? A lasting infrastructure legacy spend for everyone.
Any tax payer funding to BF should be conditional upon Peter Noble divesting his interest.
A loan so he can pay it back from the profits.
It’s good of Sarah to fly here to announce a Greens policy to subsidise the use of fossil fuels to travel long distances to play music.
Fake Greens party
If the ‘Greens’ Party stood for anything remotely related to the environment, Sarah Hanson-Young would not burn fossil fuels unnecessarily by flying to announce a policy; that can be done from SA. She doesn’t give a damn about the environment.
A policy of TAXPAYERS subsidizing more burning of fossil fuels (50% for travel for artists) – at a FOR PROFIT event! If what the event organisers are paying is insufficient for musicians’ transport then the gig is not viable.
Huge festivals that many people can’t afford, that people fly or drive long distances to get to, are not environmentally sustainable. These are the unnecessary carbon emissions that we need to cut now. This is the low hanging fruit in a climate emergency.