NSW Govt Subsidises Australian Support Acts At Major Venues

The NSW Government has become the first Australian jurisdiction to financially support ‘Michael’s Rule’, a principle where international acts in Australia must be supported by a local act.

Promoters will save $20,000 at venues run by Venues NSW, and $5,000 at the Sydney Opera House on shows that feature an Australian support act. The support must play on the same stage as the headliner, and they must be announced at the same time as the tour.

This incentive will be available for an initial 2 year period from May 2025.

Policy spruiked by Premier and Music Minister

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the purpose of the policy was to provide emerging Australian bands with a platform for future success.

“The Hoodoo Gurus got their first big break after they performed with Lou Reed in 1984,” Minns said.

“We want more Australian musicians to have that opportunity, performing on the biggest stages in NSW alongside the best international artists.”

Minister for Music and the Night-Time Economy John Graham referenced challenges faced by the Australian music industry, including artists.

“There were just three Australian albums in the ARIA top 100 charts in 2024. This represents a crisis for Australian music,” Graham said.

“While local shows are suffering, fans are still paying the big money for big international acts. Michael’s Rule will help our local artists capture that attention.”

Musicians’ Union supports Michael’s Rule but backs more support for up-and-coming bands and smaller venues

Kimberley Wheeler, Federal President of Musicians for the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, is pleased that the NSW Government is taking action but says the policy could be more band-focused.

“I’m pleased to know that the New South Wales Government acknowledged the importance of getting bands in front of our own crowds. While they’re going about it in a way for certain levels of promoters at certain venues to get a benefit, I think there’s a better way to implement it,” Wheeler said.

“It’s obviously directly benefiting those promoters, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee either that the band itself will be paid, or that they won’t be out of pocket for going or participating.”

Wheeler would like to see greater financial support afforded to artists, especially if ‘Michael’s Rule’ becomes supported by governments at smaller venues than stadiums.

“If you’ve got people like the Minns government who are offering subsidies to the venues at the lower end, they could be helping subsidize paying those support acts.”

“I’d like to think that other governments around Australia adopted a similar idea, but I don’t think this is quite the model. I think it needs to be revised.”

Emerging band echoes sentiments of Musicians’ Union

James Lynch of Melbourne-based band Delivery spoke to City Hub about his reaction to the announcement. Delivery are supporting Scottish band Franz Ferdinand on their Australian tour later this year, including a show at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt. Lynch, who has supported The Vaccines in the UK with Delivery, shared potential benefits for up-and-coming bands supporting larger ones.

“In a professional sense, it’ll be exciting to kind of put the band on a bigger map … I guess it’ll be a pretty big learning experience too,” Lynch said.

“I think the sheer impact of playing in front of however many people it’ll be, is sort of just going to be a huge notch on just the awareness of people knowing of the band.”

Echoing Wheeler, Lynch also believes that support should be more accessible to up-coming-bands and smaller scale venues.

“I think there are lots of great opportunities that come from government funding,” Lynch said.

“But at the same time, it’s really hard for … emerging bands and … smaller scale venues to tap into that stuff. And I think they’re the people that most need that support, you can’t ignore that step when it comes to thinking about the next Amyl and the Sniffers or (King) Gizzard (and the Lizard Wizard).”