Music Festivals at the Frontline of Climate Change: Report
Floods, mud, bushfires, roasting temperatures. Mother Nature, it would seem, has a cavalier attitude to music festivals, the people who attend them, and the staff who organise the show.
And it’s taking its toll.
According to a new report, 13% of Australian festival-goers choose to attend fewer events due to extreme weather, a figure that’s set to rise with one-third of respondents saying they’re more cautious of purchasing tickets due to harsh conditions.
The insights are presented in “Rain, Heat, Repeat: How Music Fans Are Experiencing Extreme Weather”, a report from Green Music Australia, co-authored by Associate Professor Catherine Strong, Dr Ben Green, Dr Todd Denham of RMIT, and Dr Lauren Rickards of La Trobe University.
In the past year, the report illustrates, some 85% music festival attendees have experienced what they consider to be extreme weather.
That number climbs to 88% for those in New South Wales and the ACT, and 87% for those from Queensland.
Brutal heat is the most common weather event noted by respondents, with 68% saying they have experienced extreme temperatures at a music festival. One third of those surveyed said their cut-off for coming to the show was a forecast of about 35 degrees C. When the mercury tops 40 degrees C, more than two-thirds would avoid attending.
When the thermostat tops 45 degrees C, some 84% would bail.
Of those surveyed, 81% believe governments at all three levels aren’t doing enough to protect the live music scene from climate change, with only 5% saying officials were doing enough.
The report, published today, April 30th, ahead of the federal election, offered several recommendations including: governments act on climate science; elevate First Nations leadership in climate solutions; strengthen government action to protect live music; improve transparency and risk communication for audiences; invest in sustainable infrastructure and climate-safe event design; introduce consumer protections for ticket holders; prioritise research for sector-wide collaboration and more.
Mud fest. Photo Credit: Deb Kloeden
“While the live music industry has faced past crises – including the pandemic, which caused mass cancellations and economic hardship – climate change presents an ongoing and escalating challenge,” comments Berish Bilander, CEO of Green Music Australia, which commissioned the report.
More than 50 music festivals across Australia were fully or partially cancelled due to extreme weather conditions in the past decade, including Green Day’s show on the Gold Coast earlier this year, scrapped as Cyclone Alfred headed towards the east coast. Alfred led to the cancellation of more than 26 live music events in just one week, according to Green Music Australia.
Unlike other disruptions, Bilander continues, extreme weather is “not a one-off event, but a growing trend. Understanding how music audiences are responding to these changes is crucial in shaping the future of live music in Australia. Without stronger climate commitments, the future of Australia’s music festivals – and the communities they bring together – remains at risk.”
The document drops as part of Green Music Australia’s ongoing “NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET” campaign, a shout-out for music fans to vote on climate this Saturday, May 3rd.
“Music festivals are an important part of Australia’s cultural landscape,” comments RMIT Associate Professor Catherine Strong. “This research shows that the impacts of the climate crisis are already making some audience members think twice about attending festivals, and this is likely to increase as more people encounter extreme weather at events. Action is needed now to ensure the sustainability of festivals – while remembering that music festivals are only one small part of what we will lose if we continue on our current path.”
For the document, researchers from Green Music Australia polled 1,155 attendees at live music and events across New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania, ranging in ages from 18 to 60-plus.
Read the full report here.