Even before Covid hit our shores in 2020, artists and organisations within the music sector found their business models severely challenged. Stand-alone open-air music festivals in particular had difficulty managing rising costs in a tight market, while the impacts of Covid only exacerbated the problems. A number of festivals closed and, most recently, two major annual contemporary festivals, BluesFest and Splendour in the Grass, were forced to cancel programs in 2025 and 2026.
Having witnessed the demise of numerous, mostly contemporary, music festivals, it is heartening to see that some musical festivals, particularly in the classical music genre, are thriving.
ArtsHub examined four distinctly different festivals, with diverse business models and aims, to see any common features they might share and what they are doing right.
Classical music festivals – quick links
Focus on ‘rare experiences’
Rachel Healy, former Artistic Director of the lauded Adelaide International Festival, tells ArtsHub: ‘A festival should be time-limited with a program offering rare experiences happening in that time and place. The quality of the programming and the artists engaged is paramount.’
She adds: ‘Location is important. A whole-of-festival experience, where local tourist attractions offer a value-proposition for festival goers will contribute significantly to the visitor economy.’
Healy recognises that there can be limitations on festival growth. ‘Success doesn’t only mean growth – often the opposite,’ she says. ‘If you scale up, costs blow out and you can’t manage budget shocks. That can spell disaster.’
Make the most of the location
Held in Queensland, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music is the largest classical music chamber festival in Australia and has evolved exponentially over its 35 years of operation. As Executive Director Ricardo Peach tells ArtsHub: ‘What began as a high-quality but relatively traditional chamber music festival in Townsville has grown into a major international cultural event.’
This approach to the music festival, gradually building support over a long period while delivering quality programming, has secured a loyal 20,000-strong audience base.
The nine-day festival takes place in July and August each year, aligning with the Australian winter and offering an attractive destination for southern based patrons looking for a warmer break. This year’s move to Cairns now puts AFCM a short hop away from world-class tourist attractions like the Great Barrier Reef, too, forming further value-adds for festival attendees.
Among the 35 events in the 2026 program is a new day cruise with lunch and concert, destined to be popular. Many of the music festival’s well-known concert formats also remain.
‘The artistic director’s vision and role is critical to the success of our model, as an artistic identity is shaped alongside the calibre of the musicians,’ Peach says.
‘In such a niche market, audiences follow artistic leadership closely and variations in the program are essential to keeping it fresh and relevant. Mixing core repertoire, new commissions and cross-genre work, while diversifying concert formats, is crucial.’
This year, AFCM runs 24 July to 1 August. Free public programming and education, community and digital outreach programs also feature to expand the festival’s reach. However, for Peach, the most recent significant change has been this year’s move to Cairns, which he describes as ‘a strategic shift rather than just a relocation’.
Peach adds: ‘In Cairns there is a “walkable precinct” with multiple venues, enabling a more cohesive and immersive experience for patrons. It will enable a more internationally connected festival, better infrastructure and a more integrated audience experience.
‘At the same time, the core DNA remains the same: world-class musicians, an immersive festival format, and a strong connection to northern Queensland.’
Well-curated offerings create a sense of anticipation
The Ukaria Cultural Centre was built in 2015 by its founder and patron Ulrike Klein as a purpose-built chamber music concert hall set in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. Over 45 concerts are staged annually, attracting full houses. The annual festival has been running since 2016, and was last year renamed Chamberfest.
A unique music festival, Chamberfest is a rarified event. Welcomed by patrons and musicians alike, this small, beautifully presented festival of five concerts is staged over a weekend in October. In its intimate 220 seat venue, it offers a niche event for knowledgeable classical music aficionados.
Alison Beare, CEO and joint Artistic Director alongside Klein, says the distinctive model is based on ‘our founder wishing to serve and support artists’.
She adds: ‘Each year we actively seek a different curator of international musical standing to create a program of their own choosing, imposing minimal parameters. We do not have a set formula and every year is clearly different to the last, dependent on the curator and their choices of program and musicians. We are always creating something new and fresh.’
Beare acknowledges this approach has its ‘challenges and risks’ but says audiences have been open. ‘We bring new artists and repertoire choices to Australia, while our audiences have come to trust that we will always bring both extraordinary programs and exceptional musicians.’
‘There is a sense of anticipation when we release the program and announce the curator, which attracts music lovers from all over Australia and further afield who want something special,’ she adds. ‘It is our flagship event, whose success stems from the choice of curator.’
Meet community needs
4MBS Festival of Classics is the brainchild of Gary Thorpe, the General Manager of 4MBS Classic FM, a Brisbane-based community radio station dedicated to classical music. Started 33 years ago as an adjunct to the radio station, the festival has grown four-fold in the years since.
What began as an initial six concerts in a studio over one weekend has grown to 24 concerts over a four-weekend period. This year’s music festival, which runs to 14 June, uses 12 separate venues.
Thorpe, who is also the Festival Director, says the growth and success has followed a community focus. ‘We have always stuck to our original goal of providing a platform for local performers, both professional and non-professional, attracting a wide community commitment,’ he says.
‘Additionally, about 25 years ago we adopted the idea to theme each festival. This popular move enables us to focus our promotion and marketing around the chosen theme, while greatly assisting programming.’
The astute business model draws a loyal, mostly local and older audience of radio listeners, securing a 7000-strong annual attendance. Repeat business and word-of-mouth translates to ticket sales, while promotion, naturally enough, leans on radio.
In recent years the music festival has made great strides in attracting younger audiences through relevant programs and free events. Of the strategy of keeping ticket prices as low as possible to encourage ticket sales, Thorpe says: ‘If we break even, and mostly we do, we are happy and I try to give back as much of the ticket sale income to the musicians as possible.’
Music and food pair well together
Emerging after the demise of the Huntingdon Festival in 2019, the Orange Chamber Music Festival in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales started life modestly in 2021. Initially, the aim was to set up a quality regional music festival for the community that would equally serve as a destination event for the region.
The decision to focus on chamber music was shaped by the passion and background of founder Carmen Nieves. As Festival Director, Nieves plays a critical role in shaping the identity of OCMF and maintaining artistic excellence.
Nieves says getting the music festival off the ground involved bringing on board like-minded local musicians, the council, community and local businesses and wineries. ‘When we finally launched in 2021, the response was immediate,’ she says. ‘Audiences responded, not just locally, but from beyond the region, confirming both appetite and potential for growth.’
Since the first OCMF in a community venue in March 2021, the event has grown into a four-day music festival drawing over 1500 attendees. The next event is scheduled for 11 to 14 March 2027.
‘While its artistic core remains unchanged, the festival has expanded into a multi-day, multi-venue event featuring diverse programming and distinctive locations,’ Nieves says. ‘It attracts a broad audience from local families and first-time attendees to dedicated music lovers, while showcasing exceptional Australian talent.’
A defining feature of the music festival is its use of diverse and distinctive venues such as heritage buildings, churches and even uniquely repositioned barns, creating memorable experiences for visitors.
Positioning OCMF as a destination festival for the region has also been key to attracting interstate visitors. ‘The integration of world-class chamber music with Orange’s renowned food and wine offerings emerged as a natural and sustainable evolution,’ Nieves says.
