February 22nd, 2025Creative industries minister delivers music fund announcement in Creswick
In some great news for music lovers, Victoria’s creative industries minister Colin Brooks visited Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel in Creswick in recent days to announce a new round of the state’s Live Music Festivals Fund.
The fund provides grants to established Victorian festival organisers to expand much-loved music events and bring more festivals to music lovers statewide.
Delivered by Music Victoria on behalf of the Victorian Government, Live Music Festivals Fund applications are now set to open on February 25 and operators of festivals with more than 1000 attendees are eligible to apply for grants of up to $50,000.
The first round of the Live Music Festivals Fund in 2024 awarded grants to 22 festivals, with almost two-thirds from regional Victoria.
Previously supported festivals included roots and folk music festival CresFest, set to be held over April 4-6, and Echuca-Moama’s popular Riverboats Festival.
CresFest Co-Director Judy Turner was quick to respond to the minister’s new announcement, stating that securing a grant through the Live Music Festivals Fund had been a “game changer” for CresFest this year.
“It means we can finally stop worrying about the last-minute nature of ticket sales, and in another brilliant thing for our town, this funding has enabled CresFest to contribute to making events at the Creswick Courthouse accessible to all,” Ms Turner said.
At a time when the industry is facing a challenging operating environment, the grants aim to help organisers stage their events, creating local jobs for people on and off the stage, and attract music lovers to towns, suburbs and cities across Victoria.
Applications for the Live Music Festivals Fund open on Tuesday, February 25 at 10am and close on Tuesday, March 25 at 2pm. An online information session will be held on Tuesday, March 4 to help people with their applications.
To find out more about the Live Music Festivals Fund visit musicvictoria.com.au. For information on other Victorian Government support for the music industry, including Music Works and 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund, those keen to know more can visit creative.vic.gov.au.
“Victoria’s music festivals are the lifeblood of communities across our state. They provide jobs for event workers, they’re a rite of passage for young music lovers, and they provide real opportunity for artists to build their careers,” Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said.
“Music festivals across the country have faced a challenging time, and we are proud to back our much-loved local festivals and the communities that host them.”
Live Music Festivals Fund
- Grant applications open: Tuesday 25 February 2025, 10am
- Applications close: Tuesday 25 March 2025, 2pm
- Info session: Tuesday 4 March 2025
Words: Eve Lamb. Image: Supplied
