Latest news with #FallsFestival
7NEWS
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Millions in government funding couldn't save Australia's biggest music festivals
National touring festival Listen Out is the latest of Australia's major music festivals to either hit pause or fold, despite receiving millions in government grants designed to keep them afloat. It's no secret production costs are higher than ever, artist fees are skyrocketing, and the cost-of-living crisis has led to more conservative spending by music fans. But the cancellations of events such as Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival and Groovin' The Moo point to a brutal truth: government money hasn't been enough to overcome rising costs, artist fees, insurance challenges and shifting consumer behaviours. Perhaps the biggest funding injection came via the federal government's Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, a $200 million program launched in 2020 as part of the COVID-19 Creative Economy Support Package. Crucially, six Australian festivals to either pause or fold post-pandemic received a combined $19.33 million in government funding. Splendour in the Grass: $16 million in government funding Splendour in the Grass was by far the most heavily supported, receiving: $1.1 million in RISE funding for its 2021 edition $5.8 million in RISE grants to its co-organisers Secret Sounds and Live Nation Australia Festivals More than $10 million in grants from the NSW Government through Create NSW's COVID support and relaunch schemes As previously reported by the 2024 and 2025 editions were cancelled, with organisers citing financial strain and soaring operational costs. Critics, however, pointed to waning audience interest and line-up dissatisfaction as contributing factors. Falls Festival: $1.5 million in government funding The long-running Falls Festival secured $1.5 million in RISE funding in 2021 to help reshape the event. But after back-to-back cancellations, it remains shelved. Promoters cited financial and operational challenges that rendered the festival unsustainable in its current form. Groovin The Moo: $1.2 million in government funding Regional touring festival Groovin The Moo received $1.2 million in federal funding to relaunch, but was cancelled for the second year in a row in 2025 — a sobering sign of the struggles facing regional live music. Listen Out: $500,000 in government funding Dance and hip-hop festival Listen Out was granted up to $500,000 from the NSW Government's Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund. But just this week, organisers announced it wouldn't return in its traditional format. Instead, it will re-emerge as Listen Out Presents, a series of curated shows. Wide Open Space: $100,000 in government funding Northern Territory's Wide Open Space Festival, which received support from a territorial grant and the federal Live Music Australia program in 2023, cancelled its 2025 return. Organisers blamed rising costs and inadequate funding despite government backing. Caloundra Music Festival: $30,000 in government funding The Sunshine Coast Council pulled the plug on the Caloundra Music Festival in 2024, despite it receiving $30,000 from Events Queensland the year prior. Organisers pointed to mounting costs, declining ticket sales and ongoing uncertainty across the sector. While there's no silver bullet, one major festival has managed to buck the trend. In an interview with music industry blog The Black Hoody, Laneway Festival promoter Danny Rogers said the festival thrived by focusing less on big-name headliners and more on fostering culture. 'Laneway was always primarily focused on trying to create a cultural event that prioritised future icons vs. artists that were already massive headliners,' Rogers said. 'A lot of people think you can build festival lineups on radio play and data,' he added. 'But that doesn't create a culture — it feels homogeneous and pretty samey. We have passed on so many acts over the years which would have sold us more tickets but they didn't fit what we were trying to say as a festival.' Government support or not, one thing remains clear: culture thrives when its most engaged contributors are genuinely nurtured. Festivals that fail to connect authentically with audiences who understand the event's ethos are unlikely to survive.
Economic Times
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Secret Sounds confirms extended Lewis Capaldi tour; check dates and how to book tickets
Synopsis Lewis Capaldi extends his Australia and New Zealand tour. The Scottish singer adds extra shows in Sydney and Melbourne. This follows a break and a return to the stage. Capaldi will perform in several cities. These include Christchurch, Auckland, and Brisbane. He will also perform in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Ticket sales are now open with pre-sale options available. Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi returns to Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 2019, expanding his 2025 tour with extra shows in response to massive fan demand. (Image Courtesy: Lewis Capaldi) Lewis Capaldi has added two new shows to his upcoming Australia and New Zealand tour after unprecedented demand during the pre-sale period. Promoter Secret Sounds confirmed that the Scottish singer-songwriter will now perform an additional show at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, December 7, and a second night at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, December announcement comes as Capaldi makes a strong comeback to the global stage, following a two-year break from performing. With his chart-topping new single Survive and a widely praised return to the Glastonbury Festival last month, Capaldi is now set to tour across Christchurch, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth this November and December. These will be his first live performances in Australasia since 2019, when he performed at the Falls Festival and Auckland Town 2025 tour will cover major cities including Christchurch, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Here are the confirmed dates: November 30 – Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch December 2 – Spark Arena, Auckland December 4 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane December 6 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney December 7 (New Show) – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney December 12 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne December 13 (New Show) – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne December 15 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide December 17 – RAC Arena, Perth Past Ticketholders Presale: Now open until Monday, July 14, 11 am AEST. Secret Sounds Presale: It runs from Friday, July 11, at 11 a.m. to Monday, July 14, at 11 a.m. AEST. General Sale: Begins Monday, July 14 at 12 pm local time. Tickets and full tour details are available at the Secret Sounds returned to the stage at Glastonbury last month, two years after stepping away from touring to focus on his mental and physical health following his Tourette's syndrome his Glastonbury performance, he introduced his new single 'Survive' and told fans he was back to 'finish what [he] couldn't finish.'
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Secret Sounds confirms extended Lewis Capaldi tour; check dates and how to book tickets
Lewis Capaldi extends his Australia and New Zealand tour. The Scottish singer adds extra shows in Sydney and Melbourne. This follows a break and a return to the stage. Capaldi will perform in several cities. These include Christchurch, Auckland, and Brisbane. He will also perform in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Ticket sales are now open with pre-sale options available. Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi returns to Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 2019, expanding his 2025 tour with extra shows in response to massive fan demand. (Image Courtesy: Lewis Capaldi) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Confirmed tour dates for November–December Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads November 30 – Wolfbrook Arena, Christchurch December 2 – Spark Arena, Auckland December 4 – Entertainment Centre, Brisbane December 6 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney December 7 (New Show) – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney December 12 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne December 13 (New Show) – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne December 15 – Entertainment Centre, Adelaide December 17 – RAC Arena, Perth Ticket sales and pre-sale info Past Ticketholders Presale: Now open until Monday, July 14, 11 am AEST. Secret Sounds Presale: It runs from Friday, July 11, at 11 a.m. to Monday, July 14, at 11 a.m. AEST. General Sale: Begins Monday, July 14 at 12 pm local time. Capaldi's comeback after break Lewis Capaldi has added two new shows to his upcoming Australia and New Zealand tour after unprecedented demand during the pre-sale period. Promoter Secret Sounds confirmed that the Scottish singer-songwriter will now perform an additional show at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, December 7, and a second night at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena on Saturday, December announcement comes as Capaldi makes a strong comeback to the global stage, following a two-year break from his chart-topping new single Survive and a widely praised return to the Glastonbury Festival last month, Capaldi is now set to tour across Christchurch, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth this November and December. These will be his first live performances in Australasia since 2019, when he performed at the Falls Festival and Auckland Town 2025 tour will cover major cities including Christchurch, Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and are the confirmed dates:Tickets and full tour details are available at the Secret Sounds returned to the stage at Glastonbury last month, two years after stepping away from touring to focus on his mental and physical health following his Tourette's syndrome his Glastonbury performance, he introduced his new single 'Survive' and told fans he was back to 'finish what [he] couldn't finish.'
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Lewis Capaldi announces 2025 Australian summer tour dates
Scottish pop star Lewis Capaldi will return to Australia this summer for the first time in five years. After keeping a relatively low profile for the past two years, the Someone You Loved hitmaker is back with a vengeance after a bravura set at the recent Glastonbury Festival. Keeping the momentum going, Lewis, 28, will return to Australia in December for five headlining dates. Kicking off his antipodean run with two New Zealand shows, Lewis will begin the Australian run at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on December 4, before hitting Sydney 's Qudos Bank Arena on December 6. The tour will then roll into Melbourne 's Rod Laver Arena and Adelaide Entertainment Centre on December 12 and 15, before finishing at Perth 's RAC Arena on Wednesday, December 17. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Lewis, who was last in the country for the Falls Festival in 2019, left Aussie fans heartbroken when he was forced to cancel an Australian tour. To make up for the heartbreak, fans who bought tickets for the 2023 shows will have exclusive access to a past purchaser pre-sale from 11am on Thursday, July 10. Meanwhile, Secret Sounds pre-sale gets underway from 11am on Friday, July 11, while general on sale is from 12pm on Monday, July 14. News of Lewis' return to Australian shores was met with much excitement from fans on Instagram. Commenting on the Live Nation announcement, one wrote: 'The world is healing. We've missed you @lewiscapaldi.' Others were hopeful that more shows would be added with the likes of: 'One show in Melbourne won't do anything lol all the previous people will get the tickets before anyone else can.' Back in 2023, Lewis apologised profusely to Aussie fans on Instagram as he announced he would no longer be touring 'for the foreseeable future'. He was initially slated to play shows in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne, before heading to Byron Bay for Splendour in the Grass. However, the Scotsman cancelled all shows in Australia due to persistent struggles he was experiencing with his Tourette's symptoms. 'I'm so incredibly sorry to everyone who had planned to come to a show before the end of the year but I need to feel well to perform at the standard you all deserve,' he wrote in a lengthy message. He added: 'Playing for you every night is all I've ever dreamed of so this has been the most difficult decision of my life. I'll be back as soon as I possibly can.' The move didn't come as a shock to fans, as the Someone You Loved hitmaker had difficulties completing his 2023 Glastonbury set. Lewis became emotional during the set as his tics made it difficult to complete songs, prompting fans to sing along in a heartwarming show of support. He had taken three weeks off before his gig on the Pyramid Stage, but admitted it was not enough as he cancelled the remaining 24 live dates he had scheduled. 'I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I'd hoped three weeks away would sort me out,' he explained in his message. 'But the truth is I'm still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette's, and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come. 'I know I'm incredibly fortunate to be able to take some time out when others can't and I'd like to thank my amazing family, friends, team, medical professionals and all of you who've been so supportive every step of the way through the good times and even more during this past year when I've needed it more than ever.' Reflecting on his 2023 Glastonbury performance, Lewis – who has teamed up with BetterHelp, the world's largest online therapy platform, for a new promotional campaign – recently admitted he thought it would be the last of his career. 'I think I probably knew two songs into the set at Glastonbury that I couldn't do it,' he said. 'Glastonbury's obviously a big deal - it's kind of like the biggest deal - and it was the Pyramid Stage, so it was a big old gig. 'Second song in I was like probably like, I can't keep doing this to myself and other people as well. People are coming to gigs, it's not how you want to watch a show. And as far as I was concerned, I was like "I'm done indefinitely."' The singer-songwriter subsequently announced a hiatus from music while he prioritised his mental health, but looking back he believes he also needed a complete break from the industry as a whole. 'I didn't take a break to just focus on getting better,' he said. 'I took a break because I needed a break, and to sort of release the pressure valve a little bit.'
Time Out
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Lewis Capaldi is touring Australia in 2025: Melbourne dates, prices, presale and more
It's the news Lewis Capaldi fans have been waiting a loooong time for: the chart-topping Scottish singer and master of tear-jerking ballads has just announced he's heading Down Under, with a massive show scheduled for Melbourne. Incredibly, it's been five years since the Capaldi last graced Aussie stages at Falls Festival, and two years since he heartbreakingly had to cancel his 2023 Australian tour due to the impact of his Tourette's. But after an emotional surprise return at Glastonbury Festival over the weekend, the superstar has announced his long-awaited Aussie comeback. Brace your heartstrings, as the setlist is bound to hit you right in the feels with favourites like 'Before You Go', 'Hold Me While You Wait', 'Bruises', 'Forget Me', his latest release 'Survive' and, of course, the global smash hit, 'Someone You Loved' – which is the world's fourth most streamed song in history. Want to cry-sing to these hits live? Here's everything you need to know about getting tickets to Lewis Capaldi's Melbourne show. When is Lewis Capaldi going on his Melbourne, Australian tour 2025? So far, Capaldi has only announced one show in Melbourne, at Rod Laver Arena on Friday, December 12. But looking at the rest of his tour – he'll also be performing in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth – there is plenty of time for some extra shows. Watch this space. When do Lewis Capaldi Melbourne tickets go on sale? General tickets for Lewis Capaldi's Australian tour go on sale on Monday, July 14 at 12pm / noon local time via Secret Sounds. Is there a Lewis Capaldi pre-sale? Of course there is – it's Lewis Capaldi! Fans who had tickets to the singer's cancelled 2023 tour will get exclusive access to a pre-sale kicking off on Thursday, July 10 at 11am local time. Everyone else can jump on the Secret Sounds pre-sale from Friday, July 11 at 11am. Before you go… make sure you register for the pre-sale here. How much are Lewis Capaldi tickets in Melbourne? We'll update you here with ticket prices as soon as they're released. Who is the support act for Lewis Capaldi's Australian tour? English singer Skye Newman and Irish songwriter Aaron Rowe will join Capaldi as support acts on the UK leg of his global tour. However, the support act for his Australian shows has yet to be announced. Why did Lewis Capaldi cancel his 2023 Australian tour? Lewis Capaldi cancelled his 2023 Australian tour – including his scheduled appearance at Splendour in the Grass and a series of sold-out headline shows – to focus on his mental and physical health. 'The fact that this probably won't come as a surprise doesn't make it any easier to write, but I'm very sorry to let you know I'm going to be taking a break from touring for the foreseeable future, ' said the singer. ' I used to be able to enjoy every second of shows like this and I'd hoped three weeks away would sort me out. But the truth is I'm still learning to adjust to the impact of my Tourette's and on Saturday it became obvious that I need to spend much more time getting my mental and physical health in order, so I can keep doing everything I love for a long time to come.'
