Labor Commits Additional $16.4 Million To Live Music In Election Push

Labor’s Minister for the Arts Tony Burke had a busy Easter weekend, unveiling a signature election committment in the form of a $16.4 million extension of Revive Live.

The project was first implemented last year with $8.6 million for venues and festivals, bringing Labor’s total pledge for to live music under the program to $25 million, including money for infrastructure upgrades, programming, professional development programs, accessibility projects and touring circuit creation.

The big winners from the first round of grants with over $100,000 each in investment included Good Day Sunshine Festival, Echuca-Moama Winter Blues Festival, Beyond The Valley, A Day On The Green, Queenscliff Music Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, St Kilda Festival, Party In The Paddock, Adelaide venue Jive, WOMADelaide, Woodford Folk Festival, Brisbane venues Brightside and Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Savannah In The Round, Desert Harmony Festival, Cobargo Folk Festival, Yours and Owls, Lost Paradise, King Street Crawl, with another 100 venues and festivals receiving smaller grants.

Tony Burke said: “Venues and festivals are under huge pressure at the moment. The Albanese Labor Government established Revive Live because music lovers should be able to enjoy local gigs and artists should be able to make a career out of their music. 

“Venue and festival owners across Australia have told me that Revive Live has provided the support they need to continue hosting and promoting live music. Gigs have always been a huge part of my life. I know the vital role live music venues and festivals play in providing local artists with the chance to perform, develop and grow audiences.”

The announcement was welcomed by the music industry with the Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC) chair, Howard Adams, saying, “This is another example of strong policy in the live music sector from this government, which has already gone above and beyond any other administration in living memory.”

Olly Arkins, managing director of the Australian Festivals Association, said, “Revive Live has helped more Aussie artists get on stage and festivals organisers to grow their events at a time when budgets have been tight, and ticket sales unsteady. The AFA strongly welcome this commitment.”

APRA AMCOS Chief Executive Dean Ormston also welcomed the news. “This investment builds on the momentum of last month’s federal budget, which made clear that music is not just a creative pursuit, it’s a national asset driving jobs, tourism, export and local communities.”

The commitment comes hot on the heels of The Greens’ announcement last week, pledging tax offsets for live performances. The Liberal party has yet to announce an arts policy, with just one mention of the support of the arts in their 44-page platform document.

Music industry figures are hoping to see specific commitments from all parties, launching the Vote Music initiative, which brings together 19 key industry organisations with a five-point ask to all parties ahead of the May election.

The pillars are:

1. Supercharge Investment in Live Music & Industry Growth

Vote Music 2025 urges securing Music Australia’s future by increasing funding to develop and promote artists, grow exports, drive innovation, collect research, and install songwriting and recording initiatives in schools. It also calls for tax rebates for venues, festivals, and touring artists, as well as the expansion of Revive Live to support festivals, regional touring, venue infrastructure, all-ages shows, and new music pathways for young people.

2. Strengthen Creative Rights & Innovation

Vote Music 2025 seeks to strengthen copyright and AI transparency to protect artists and ensure fair compensation. It also calls for Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property protections for First Nations music and culture and for adjusting radio royalties by removing outdated caps.

3. Amplify Australian Music Locally and Globally

Vote Music 2025 recommends the modernisation of content quotas, prominence of Australian music on DSPs, the reviewing of Significant Australian Content (SAC) test and Australian Content and Children’s Television Standards (ACCTS) guidelines, commitment to a quota of Australian content on streaming video/demand platforms, ensuring Australian artists support international acts (following Michael’s Rule), and the introduction of an arena ticket levy to support grassroots music.

4. Strengthen Communities and Audience Growth

Vote Music recommends securing investment for Support Act, ensuring Australians can access music and creative opportunities through digital inclusion programs, public liability reform to help venues operate sustainably, and workplace safety initiatives to create respectful workspaces.

5. Expand Global Exports & Cultural Diplomacy

Last but not least, Vote Music 2025 calls for reciprocal cultural programs that strengthen ties with Indo-Pacific music markets, diplomatic and diaspora engagement, and export grants and visa support to make it easier for Australian artists to tour and build careers on an international scale.

With early voting kicking off tomorrow, time is running short for policy announcements as people head in to have their say.