Australia’s live music scene ‘decimated’, with 1,300 venues lost since pandemic
Apra Amcos boss calls for tax incentives to revive the sector, after report reveals number of venues for small to medium gigs shrank by a third over three years
More than 1,300 live music venues and stages across Australia have been lost permanently since Covid restrictions began, shrinking the live music scene for small to medium gigs by one-third over the past three years, according to Apra Amcos's annual report.
Australian music fans flocking to large-scale concerts by huge international acts such as Ed Sheeran, Elton John and Harry Styles has delivered a record year in licensing fee earnings for Australasia's music rights collecting agency Apra Amcos. However, recovery at the grassroots level of the local music industry has been shackled by a dearth of venues, said the agency's chief executive, Dean Ormston.
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