Back In The Black: International Touring Returns To Australia
The revitalization of the Australian live touring circuit seems to be underway, as international artists return to our shores.
Once a thriving, $3bn industry, the Australian live touring circuit was summarily brought to its knees by the COVID pandemic. Lockdowns and restrictions put a halt on local, national and international touring, and Australian artists were largely left to struggle on their own without adequate government support.
Australia has always been an outlier as a touring destination for international artists. Sheer geographical distance makes it expensive to tour here. The costs of shipping equipment and crew alone, which in some cases have tripled since the pandemic, make it a financially risky venture for many artists.
But the worst may be behind us with a string of tour announcements heralding the return of some of the biggest names in music. Aussie music fans have plenty to look forward to in summer 2025 with tours from Madchester pioneers Oasis, metal icons Metallica, hip hop bad boy Kendrick Lamar and pop queen Lady Gaga.
And 2026 is looking even better as we host highly anticipated performances from local hip hop heroes Hilltop Hoods, NZ pop princess Lorde and Aussie rock royalty AC/DC. From the, we welcome US country star Jason Aldean on his ‘Full Throttle’ tour, pop rock wizards OneRepublic and legendary Talking Heads frontman David Byrne with his celebrated ‘What Is The Sky?’ show. Rumours continue to swirl that emo rockers My Chemical Romance will announce upcoming Australian shows, having just confirmed a south-east Asia tour.
International tours form a benchmark for economic recovery, indicating that stakeholders are confident of a return on investment. However, the acts coming here exist at the higher end of the scale and have substantial backing to take that gamble. Entities like Oasis, Metallica and Lady Gaga, for example, are almost guaranteed to sell out any shows they advertise. Within the local sphere, the industry is still struggling to regain its pre-COVID vigour.
Recent years have seen the decline of Australia’s once vibrant festival circuit, with countless well-known festivals taking sabbatical or folding altogether. Post-COVID, and amid a growing cost-of-living crisis, consumers no longer have the disposable income to afford attending a festival. It has also become exponentially more expensive and riskier to stage even a small-scale, multi-band event, let alone a full-blown, multi-day festival. These costs are inherently passed onto the consumer through ticket and concession prices, making it financially unviable for those on a strict budget.
Though COVID isn’t solely to blame for this current dire situation in Australian live music. Long before the pandemic, crucial trust was broken in the industry with the unfortunate collapse of Soundwave Festival in 2015. The fallout left artists and event contractors owed millions by promoter AJ Maddah. With that came a loss of credibility and inherent trust that formed a vital function in staging large-scale touring festivals in Australia. It had a far-reaching impact that the industry was still trying to recover from when COVID hit, compounding the devastation.
State and local governments around Australia have extended lifelines to help jumpstart the local music industry.
The Victorian Government has announced a $3 million boost for musicians, bands, venues and festivals designed to strengthen the industry as well as the jobs and communities it supports. The latest round of 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund will fund 136 venues across the state to stage paid performances by local artists.
The New South Wales Government has unveiled Australia’s largest cash music prize, to celebrate the state’s exceptional contemporary musicians and give them a career-boosting cash injection. The NSW Music Prize is worth $80,000 to the NSW artist or act whose release has had the most significant impact. There are also two prizes worth $40,000 each for First Nations Music and Breakthrough Artists of the Year categories.
The Australian Government’s latest report examining the state of the Australian live music industry, entitled ‘Am I Ever Going To See You Live Again’ in honour of The Angels, offered several recommendations for revival. But these will require sufficient funding, public interest and parliamentary action to implement with any success.
The return of big name, international artists to Australia is a positive sign for the recovery of our touring industry. It means overseas acts are willing once more to invest in Australia as a live performance market, bolstering our image as a profitable touring destination. It’s also good news for Aussie music fans hoping to see their favourite acts live on stage again. Given their options over the coming months, they won’t be left wanting.
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