Audiences are queuing for certain arts experiences in record numbers, but not all festivals are faring the same. Photo: Courtesy Adelaide Fringe Festival.
Artists are no strangers to tight budgets and stretching their dollars further than most. But lately, it’s not just artists, but great swathes of the economy where more is being done with less, amid rising costs.
To top it off, last month Sydney Festival announced its first ever Summerground music festival would be cancelled due to mounting operational expenses and cost of living pressures biting hard.
ArtsHub's Arts Feature Writer Jo Pickup is based in Perth. An arts writer and manager, she has worked as a journalist and broadcaster for media such as the ABC, RTRFM and The West Australian newspaper, contributing media content and commentary on art, culture and design. She has also worked for arts organisations such as Fremantle Arts Centre, STRUT dance, and the Aboriginal Arts Centre Hub of WA, as well as being a sessional arts lecturer at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA).
![[GAMEBOY] from choreographer Amy Zhang tours as part of ORBIT 2026. Photo: Supplied.](https://www.artshub.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/08/7.-ORBIT_ARTWORK_gameboy-by-Amy-Zhang.webp?w=280)
