The CEO of West Australian Music (WAM) has called for increased funding for home-grown festivals as more major festivals remove Western Australia from their touring schedules.
Click play to hear the interview.
As previously reported, the Laneway Festival—which has featured acts such as Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, and PinkPantheress—will not return to Perth or Adelaide in 2027. Organisers cited the logistical difficulty of flying their lineup and crew to both cities as a key factor.
Speaking to Youth Jam’s Luke Sharp, WAM CEO Owen Whittle said there has been positive growth in the WA festival scene.
“I think (Laneway) shows that we can’t rely on anyone else to do it and that we have to invest and support local, home-grown West Australian festivals.
“We’ve got some great growth in that area, we’ve seen two new festivals pop up in WA last year, ‘Arrival Festival’ and ‘New Farm, New Country’ out of Albany and they’re both in their second year this year and going strong,” he told Luke Sharp LIVE listeners.
While acknowledging that large festivals bring economic value and local jobs, Whittle stressed that State Government funding should be prioritised for local musicians.
“We’ve seen a sharp increase last year in State Government funding directed to local artists and that’s where we want to see the funding go. I’d be really hesitant to see [the] State Government step in and fund international headliners to come to Perth on a festival line-up,” he said.
He argued that funding mechanisms supporting grassroots venues and artists need improvement, adding that WAM is campaigning for changes, particularly during WA Music Week, which is currently underway.
