Who Can Still Afford to Tour Australia?
Not long ago, Australia was a regular stop on just about every major artist’s world tour itinerary. The country’s reliable crowds, thriving festival scene, and sun-soaked appeal made it worth the long-haul flights and logistical headaches. But lately, that’s changed.
In 2024 alone, we’ve seen a strange split emerge. On one end, mega-stars like Taylor Swift and Idles are selling out stadiums with ease. On the other, artists like The Weeknd and Childish Gambino have cancelled their long-awaited Australian dates. Meanwhile, smaller and mid-tier acts like Fontaines D.C. or Joey Valence & Brae are pulling surprisingly strong numbers. Some festivals — like Splendour in the Grass — have collapsed under low ticket sales, while others like Laneway are thriving. So what’s really going on?
The Geography & Economics Problem
Touring Australia has always been a logistical challenge. It’s far from major touring hubs in North America and Europe, with long travel distances between cities and a limited population spread thin. For a tour to be financially viable, artists often need to hit four to six cities, each requiring its own freight, crew, and accommodation costs. When you factor in rising fuel prices, increased freight charges, and inflated post-COVID operational costs, Australia becomes one of the most expensive places on Earth to tour.
Unless you’re moving serious tickets — and quickly — the risk is enormous.
The Cost of Living Squeeze
It’s not just the artists feeling the pinch. Australian fans are grappling with their own financial constraints. With inflation biting and the cost of living higher than ever, $300+ concert tickets are no longer seen as a casual night out — they’re a luxury. That makes fans more selective, and it makes less room for error.
If a tour isn’t marketed perfectly, if the lineup feels out of step with current tastes, or if the pricing feels inflated, fans will opt out. And for artists and promoters, that risk is increasingly too great to take.
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So Why Do Some Artists Still Succeed?
Despite the hurdles, some international acts are finding real success — especially those operating in the mid-tier. Acts like Fontaines D.C., JPEGMAFIA, and Joey Valence & Brae are drawing solid crowds across Australia, often in smaller venues with leaner production setups.
Their success is due in part to laser-focused fanbases and smart timing — often aligning tours with new releases, viral moments, or festival slots. These artists don’t need mass-market appeal; they just need their fans to show up, and they do.
This trend suggests that touring success in Australia is less about size and more about strategy. Artists who understand their audience — and work with promoters who do too — are still cutting through.
Festivals: A Tale of Two Scenes
The contrast is perhaps most obvious in the festival space. Splendour in the Grass, once a cornerstone of Australia’s festival circuit, cancelled its 2024 event after sluggish ticket sales. In contrast, Laneway Festival saw record attendance, with a lineup stacked with artists who felt both culturally relevant and musically forward.
Why the difference? Curation matters. Laneway books acts that are part of current conversations — artists that fans are discovering on TikTok, streaming obsessively, or buzzing about online. Splendour, by contrast, may have leaned too heavily on legacy appeal or international names that no longer carry weight with younger audiences.
There’s also a pricing factor. Festivals that offer value — whether through lineup quality, location, or experience — are more likely to weather the storm. If fans are going to spend hundreds of dollars on a weekend ticket, it has to feel worth it.
Is It a Booking Problem or a Pricing Problem?
Ultimately, it’s a bit of both. Tours and festivals that misread the room — either overestimating demand, leaning on tired names, or pricing fans out — are struggling. But those who align bookings with real audience interest, use social media momentum wisely, and price accessibly are surviving and even thriving.
In this new landscape, being big isn’t enough. Being relevant matters more.
A New Touring Reality
We may be seeing a lasting shift in who can tour Australia — and how. The acts that consistently succeed fall into three broad categories:
- Mega-stars with global demand and bottomless budgets.
- Mid-tier artists with strong niche followings and agile touring models.
- Festivals and promoters who understand what the Australian audience actually wants — and what they can afford.
Everyone else is taking a gamble.
And as the cost of touring continues to rise and fans become more selective, that gamble is only getting riskier. Whether this means fewer tours or smarter tours remains to be seen — but one thing’s clear: the old touring model in Australia is gone, and a new one is rapidly taking its place.
