Higher ticket prices due to new visa charges?

Image: Bluesfest Byron Bay

Tour and festival promoters are warning the Federal Government that music fans could face higher ticket prices if it goes ahead with scrapping long-standing discounts on entertainment visas.

The live music sector’s peak body Live Performance Australia has asked Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, to overturn the fees which are due to come into force on November 19.

LPA CEO Evelyn Richardson warned it would hit the financial viability of international tours. This would, in return, lead to fewer tours, less work for people in the Australian live industry (especially those in regional areas) and higher ticket prices.

Richardson said, ‘‘Visa processing fees are being increased by up to 600 per cent which could stop touring artists from coming to Australia altogether.

“This is a massive money grab by the Government, which is being introduced under the guise of a new online visa processing system that is supposed to cut red tape and streamline visa approvals.”

Festivals which bring a huge contingent of overseas acts are most at risk. Bluesfest for instance, which must already be paying huge fees for acts as Neil Young, Patti Smith and Barry Gibb will be hit with an extra $55,000 (up 600%) for applications. Bluesfest also stages club sideshows in other states for many of its major acts.

Others like Splendour In The Grass and the various Falls festivals will see a 200% rise in cost.

Promoters behind major league tours by Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band, Guns N’ Roses and Justin Bieber will be affected as such acts travel with huge entourages. TEG Dainty, which would have previously paid $7200 for Guns N’ Roses visa expenses, now faces a cost of $22,000.

Both Bluesfest’s Peter Noble and tour promoter Michael Chugg have officially revealed that such a visa fee hike would eventually be passed on to customers.

Richardson is also seeking clarification around changes to the exemption from visa fees for not-for-profit organisations and those which received government funding.

“To date, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection hasn’t been able to provide certainty or clarification on this issue which is affecting the ability of live performance companies to plan for their upcoming summer tours.

“LPA has raised our concerns with the Minister and is seeking an urgent meeting to resolve these issues which will have a hugely detrimental effect on Australia’s live performance industry.”

The LPA handles around 20% of entertainment visa applications, but was not offered the chance to test the new online application process before it launched.

The association has contacted the Immigration Minister and also for an urgent meeting to resolve the issues.