Live Sector Gets Helping Hand for Summer Season
The Australian live sector entered the summer season with a strong enough start.
Sydney’s EDM scene, for instance, had 44,000 for Knockout Outdoors and 20,000 for Listen Out over the first weekend, with Epik expected to draw 50,000 and 44,000 for Festival X.
However, ongoing issues like delayed ticket sales by the 18—29 age group due to market saturation, last-minute cancellations from flooding and staff no-shows remain problematic.
Governments and councils made moves to make summer easier for promoters and patrons.
The federal government initiated the Live Performance Support Scheme until February 23, giving a defined percentage of expected revenue cover losses for concerts and festivals hit by creatives and crews having to isolate after testing positive for COVID.
Here are six other initiatives.
ADELAIDE
The SA government is looking at a review of liquor licensing laws that could see the end of the 3am lockout laws in entertainment precincts.
They were introduced ten years ago to combat drunken violence in the city, especially the West End.
The idea of the review came after lobbying from venue operators in the Hindley Street strip and some of the legal fraternity questioning their legality and relevance.
However other venue operators told the Advertiser that more important than dropping the lockouts was to focus on changes to bolster Adelaide’s night time economy and tourism.
SCARBOROUGH
The City of Stirling (WA) is experimenting with banning cars from the beachside suburb of Scarborough’s party strip during nights in the warmer months.
The pedestrian-only strategy is to increase the numbers and safety of clubbers, and to cut down crime, mayor of Stirling Mark Irwin said.
Only buses, taxis and rideshares will be allowed.
It will allow authorities to monitor party buses, which arrive in numbers containing drunks.
The plan begins in late October and runs until December, possibly extending to April.
MELBOURNE
The City of Melbourne will help to stage and deliver 48 events in 2023, allocating more than $1.4 million, and an additional $430,000 in-kind support for event promoters.
These include an open-air live music series featuring emerging and established local artists from Melbourne and regional Victoria, a Portuguese festival, a floating entertainment experience in Docklands, the Melbourne International Jazz Festival and Fringe Festival.
Lord mayor Sally Capp revealed that in September, pedestrian activity near Town Hall exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
“We know that events are the number one driver of trips to Melbourne, attracting 30 million visits and boosting our local economy by $52 million,” Capp said.
“That’s why we dedicated $25 million to events in our 2022-23 council budget.”
SURRY HILLS
Support from the City of Sydney and Surry Hills Creative Precinct Inc sees a four week music, entertainment and culinary precinct the Heart of Surry Hills held from November 1 to 30.
It showcases venues, live music from local talent and a stage on Shannon Reserve celebrating women in jazz.
PERTH
The WA government is bringing in the Protected Entertainment Precincts law to provide safety for nightclubbers and live music patrons.
It will ban violent offenders from entertainment precincts for five years after they are released from prison.
Crimes include murder, sexual penetration without consent and unlawful assault causing death, as well as drink spiking.
Breaches will result in five years’ jail and a $12,000 fine.
Police get the power to issue six-month bans from a range of areas if they believe a person’s behaviour is unlawful, antisocial, disorderly, offensive, indecent or threatening.
There is a backlash from human rights activists, academics and politicians who argue that such bans have not proven to cut down crime, and it gives police “unprecedented” power.
Protected Entertainment Precincts will be established in Northbridge-Perth, as well as in Fremantle, Scarborough, Hillarys and Mandurah.
SYDNEY’S INNER EAST
The NSW government is, as part of its CBD Revitalisation Program, underwriting Eastside Unlocked.
The four-week festival in Sydney’s inner-east covers music, drag, food, art and performances across October, with over 80 different events held at 35 locations throughout Potts Point, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Woolloomooloo.