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.
