Four Gilmore music festivals are amped for their up-coming events after receiving a funding boost from the Federal Government.
Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips was thrilled to announce almost $180,000 will be shared between the NelliJam Music Festival, Kiama Jazz and Blues Fest, the Clearly Festival and the Culburra Beach Festival and Burradise Bash.
Mrs Phillips said the funding, through the Australian Government’s Revive Live program, would help keep local music fans engaged in live music.
“Live music venues and festivals make a large contribution to our local economies, with many tourism and hospitality industries leveraging off the success of the live music scene,” she said.
“This funding will benefit these four great local events and help grow Gilmore’s ecosystem of live music for the future.”
The January 2025 NelliJam Music Festival will receive $24,168 to assist with artist fees, marketing and production costs ahead of its event at the Steampacket Hotel in Nelligen.
The Kiama Jazz & Blues Festival 2025 will receive $40,000 to help with artist fees and equipment costs ahead of its March event, while the Clearly Music, Art & Wellness Festival, also held at Kiama, will receive a $75,000 boost to assist with Australian artist fees for its up-coming November event.
Planned for Easter 2025 and September 2025, the Culburra Beach Festival and Burradise Bash will get an injection of $39,000 to help with equipment, marketing and production costs.
“These events are so wonderful for locals as well and visitors to our area,” Mrs Phillips said.
“They offer an opportunity for local musicians to showcase their talent in front of a live audience, and also bring some big names to our region, which is really fantastic for music lovers.”
Revive Live is helping live music venues and festivals to continue to operate under tough conditions, with grants supporting live music in regional, remote and metropolitan areas across the country that reflect a diverse range of genres, organisations and audiences.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the funding would help ensure performers and audiences could continue to play and enjoy live music on the South Coast.
“Live music venues and festivals are the lifeblood of our local music scene and I want to ensure they remain a place for homegrown artists to perform,” he said.
“Revive Live is alleviating some of the additional costs facing our industry right now and will help them to be more sustainable into the future.”
Through Revive Live, the Australian Government is providing grants of $7.7 million in total to 110 organisations, including 61 festival-based activities and 49 live music venues.
Established in the 2024-25 Budget, Revive Live aligns with the Government’s National Cultural Policy, Revive, which recognises the Australian music sector as a vibrant part of our arts and cultural landscape.
The program is providing critical support to the sector, with grants helping recipients to adapt to market pressures and improve the sustainability of their operations as well as improving accessibility at live music venues or festivals so that more people with disabilities can participate as a performer, arts worker, or audience member.
Photo: Federal Member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips, pictured with Elizabeth Burnett and Cr Stuart Larkins at Burnett’s on Barney during this year’s Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival, is thrilled that four local events have been awarded Revive Live funding.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
MICHAELA MARSHALL (MINISTER BURKE) - 0407 835 059
KATRINA CONDIE (FIONA PHILLIPS) – 0437 662 967
