Bluesfest shows the precarity of the Australian live music industry

The collapse of the Byron Bay Bluesfest has exposed the fragility of the Australian live music industry, leaving many musicians chasing unpaid bills under the business model pushed by US entertainment company Live Nation.

Following Bluesfest’s cancellation, owner Peter Noble owes $10.62 million to creditors and weekend reporting suggests that the number will increase. However, these debts do not include any payments made to the artists who booked the festival, as the contract was signed with a separate company owned by Noble’s.