The increasingly unpredictable consequences of climate change and extreme weather will amplify the challenges already faced by Australia’s live music sector, a new report has revealed.
Already, 85 per cent of festival-goers have experienced what they consider to be extreme weather at a music festival in the past 12 months. This figure rises to 88 per cent for those in New South Wales and the ACT, and 87 per cent for those from Queensland. In the 18 to 25-year-old demographic, 88 per cent across the country said they had attended a music festival with extreme weather.
For some, this has already translated into changed behaviours, with 13 per cent choosing to attend fewer events due to extreme weather. These worrying numbers could be set to rise further, with 34 per cent saying they are more cautious about purchasing tickets due to extreme weather. For frequent attendees – those who go to live music weekly – it’s even higher, at 44 per cent.
The insights come from the new Rain, Heat, Repeat: How Music Fans Are Experiencing Extreme Weather 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. The Report, compiled from interviews with attendees at Billie Eilish and Lime Cordiale Australian tours, as well as festivals Party In the Paddock and St Kilda Festival, explores how climate change and extreme weather events are impacting music audiences in Australia, and influencing ticket purchasing decisions and event attendance.
Extreme heat is the most common weather event noted by attendees, with 68 per cent saying they have experienced it over the past 12 months at a music festival. And as extreme heat events occur more frequently, ticket sales look likely to suffer. 33 per cent said their cutoff for attending a festival would be a forecast over 35 degrees. If the forecast climbs to over 40 degrees, 66 per cent said they would avoid attending. The number of event-avoiders soars to 84 per cent if the forecast is over 45 degrees.
Meanwhile almost half of respondents (45 per cent) have experienced heavy rain at a live event, a phenomenon which appears to impact New South Wales attendees (52 per cent) and Queensland attendees (51 per cent) slightly more. 17 per cent, meanwhile, have experienced flood impacts at a music event in the past year (rising to 19 per cent for New South Wales).
Of those surveyed, an overwhelming majority (81 per cent) believe Governments aren’t doing enough to protect the music scene from climate impacts. Only 5 per cent believe enough is being done.
Green Music Australia commissioned the Report and research amidst an escalating crisis. It comes after more than 50 music festivals across the country were fully or partially cancelled due to extreme weather conditions since 2015. Cyclone Alfred recently led to the cancellation of more than 26 live music events in just one week. The organisation hopes the Report will offer early insights into this growing challenge for the music industry, and act as an inspiration for action from artists, event organisers, industry stakeholders and policymakers to safeguard live music in an era of increasing climate uncertainty.
“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. Unlike other disruptions, 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,” said Berish Bilander, Green Music Australia CEO.
The Report also offered a number of recommendations including:
- Governments must 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
“Music festivals are an important part of Australia’s cultural landscape. 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,” said RMIT Associate Professor Catherine Strong.
The Report comes as part of Green Music Australia’s NO MUSIC ON A DEAD PLANET campaign, a call for music fans to vote climate. ‘Voting climate’ simply means considering whether candidates and parties will make the climate crisis a priority by supporting 100 per cent renewable energy, saying no to nuclear, and ending government support for fossil fuels.
