Ridiculous call to raise Centrelink payments so young Aussies can go to music festivals

A bar owner has called for youth and job seeker benefits to be increased so young Aussies can afford a night out and tickets to a music festival.

Ancient World co-owner Hugh Scobie made the call, warning young Australians were being crushed by the cost of living crisis.

Music festivals were once a rite of passage for many young Australians, but economic pressures have seen ticket sales fall, with several festivals, including Splendor in the Grass, being forced to cancel as a result.

“Most people can’t afford to spend $50 on a night out,” Scobie told the paper Adelaide Advertiser.

The report shows that ticket sales have suffered among the largest group of music festival visitors: the 18 to 24 age group

“Increasing Jobseeker and Youth Allowance to the amount recommended by the Australian Council of Social Service would help a lot.

Creative Australia’s SoundCheck report, ‘Insights into Australia’s music festival sector’, released on Wednesday, shows ticket sales among the largest festival group have fallen by 24 per cent.

Ticket sales among 18 to 24 year olds fell by 41 percent from 2018 to 2019 and by 27 percent from 2022 to 2023.

The report also cited the National Arts Participation Survey, which found that ticket sales fell due to the high cost of attendance and rising costs of living.

The cost of tickets remained the most common barrier to participation, impacting 55 percent of Australians, with 33 percent claiming they would not have attended an event in 2022 due to ticket prices.

Money problems were also most pronounced among partygoers under the age of 35, with nine in 10 young Aussies experiencing financial problems in 2023.

Young Aussies told Daily Mail Australia they believed the cost of living and high ticket prices were factors in the cancellation of the Splendor in the Grass music festival.

Mr Scobie explained that young Aussies are unable to stretch their budgets to afford a ticket to a music festival or even a night out on the town.

“We lost a huge chunk of our audience – young people and students whose main income comes from Centrelink – almost immediately after interest rates, rents, groceries and petrol prices went up,” he said.

“Seeing bands and socializing with their friends doesn’t seem affordable for them in the current economic climate.”

Young Australians on JobSeeker, who are single and have no children, will receive a maximum fortnightly payment of $762.70

Co-owner of Adelaide bar and DJ venue Ancient World Hugh Scobie (left) called for an increase in Youth Allowance and Job Seeker payments so young Australians can afford ticket prices and a night out

Young Australians on JobSeeker, who are single and have no children, will receive a maximum fortnightly payment of $762.70.

Those on youth benefits can receive between $395.30 and $806 per fortnight, depending on their age, living situation, relationship status and whether they have children.

Mr Scobie proposed increasing payments in line with the Australian Council of Social Service’s proposal.

The organization calculated that Jobseeker recipients would receive an average of $55 a day, and said this should rise to $80 in line with the pension.

The Soundcheck report also identified extreme weather events, regulatory changes and rising operational costs as challenges facing the music festival industry.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the Soundcheck report highlighted a lack of funding, grants and support for festivals in Australia.

‘Festivals are an important part of the art and live music ecosystem. “Festivals support employment not only for artists, but also in the hospitality, tourism and trade sectors,” said Senator Hanson-Young.

‘It’s no surprise to hear festival organizers say that extreme weather and insurance are among their biggest challenges.

‘We have known for some time that extreme weather conditions and climate change make it more difficult and unpredictable to organize large-scale events.

Senator Hanson-Young has written to the Arts Minister to ask for government-backed funding and a support package for festivals in the May Budget.

It comes after a slew of music festivals in Australia were canceled due to poor ticket sales.

The iconic three-day music festival Splendor in the Grass, which was due to take place in North Byron Parklands from July 19 to 21, was canceled on March 26.

Sources claimed the festival was most likely canceled due to poor ticket sales, but organizers said in a statement that this was due to “unexpected events.”

Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue, 55, was due to headline the event, along with other popular artists including G Flip, Arcade Fire and Future.

It comes after a slew of major music festivals in Australia were cancelled, including the iconic three-day festival Splendor in the Grass (pictured)

One of Australia’s biggest music festivals, Groovin the Moo, was forced to cancel its upcoming tour of shows just two months before it was due to begin.

In February, organizers announced that festivals in regional Australia would not go ahead in 2024, citing poor ticket sales.

In January, ValleyWays – a music festival featuring some of Australia’s biggest bands – was canceled just weeks before it was due to take place.

ValleyWays was preparing to host revelers at Onslow Oval in Camden, south-west Sydney, on February 17, until it was announced it would not go ahead.

The same month, Tent Pole Music Festival canceled their event just weeks before it was due to start, along with organizers, blaming the ‘impossible’ economic climate.

It was due to take place on February 17 at Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong, Victoria, but was forced to offer ticket holders a full refund after it was canned.

Earlier this year, the Vintage Vibes festival was canceled two weeks before the event at Tomich Wines in Woodside in the Adelaide Hills.

Organizers announced on social media that the festival on January 27 and 28 had been canceled due to “increased pressure on supply chains” and “shifts in the economic climate.”

International headliners Rudimental and Groove Armada were set to line up alongside local acts DMAs, Meg Mac and Cub Sport.

Around the same time, the Coastal Jam and Falls music festivals were canceled in 2023 and 2024.