The Victorian Government is turning up the volume on live music, backing 16 festivals across the state through the latest round of the Live Music Festivals Fund.
Delivered in partnership with Music Victoria, round 3 of the fund will provide grants totalling more than $640,000 to a diverse mix of metropolitan and regional events, creating opportunities for artists, boosting local economies and drawing audiences to communities across Victoria.
Recipients include longtime favourites such as Port Fairy Folk Festival, Riverboats Music Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival, newer events like Abbotsford’s LuliePalooza, Footscray electronic festival The DOT and Mt
Martha’s First Peoples music festival Our Survival Day, as well as inclusive music festival Ability Fest.
Most of the latest supported festivals are based in regional communities, including those that were impacted by the January 2026 bushfires such as Castlemaine’s Town Folk Festival, Tallarook’s Interstellar Groove Festival and Beechworth’s High Country Hop.
Since its launch in 2024, the Live Music Festivals Fund has provided grants to almost 50 festivals, supporting event organisers to stage successful festivals through a challenging time for the industry. This investment has secured jobs for artists and crew and created memorable live music experiences for Victorians in all corners of the state.
The program continues to prioritise inclusive, accessible and diverse events, with strong representation from First Peoples-led festivals, disability-led initiatives and events celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities - in line with the
Victorian Government’s creative industries strategy Creative State 2028.
The Victorian Government continues to support the state’s vibrant music ecosystem with a recent round of Music Works grants for musicians, music workers, businesses and organisations, and another round of the music venues program 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund coming soon.
For the full list of Live Music Festivals Fund recipients below.
LIVE MUSIC FESTIVALS FUND ROUND 3 RECIPIENTS – AUGUST 2026
Ability Fest, Melbourne, $50,000
CresFest, Creswick, $44,500
Interstellar Groove Festival, Tallarook, $24,992
LuliePalooza, Abbotsford, $41,500
Maldon Folk Festival, Maldon, $24,992
National Celtic Folk Festival, Portarlington, $29,000
NYE on the Hill, Kernot, $50,000
Our Survival Day, Mt Martha, $50,000
Port Fairy Folk Festival, Port Fairy, $38,000
Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff, $38,000
Rainbow Spirit Festival, Tallarook, $50,000
Riverboats Music Festival, Echuca, $50,000
The DOT, Footscray, $30,000
The High Country Hop, Beechworth, $24,992
Town Folk Festival, Castlemaine, $50,000
When Pigs Fly, Abbotsford, $50,000