The Victorian Creative Industries Festivals Review (2018) was an action of the 2016 Creative State Strategy.
It looked at the strengths of the State’s festivals, the issues they faced and ways to maintain a high-quality, diverse and accessible program that meets contemporary and future needs. Creative Victoria commissioned independent consultants LEK to undertake the review with input from more than 350 Victorian festival directors and presenters.
Key findings
- 430 Total number of creative festivals held in Victoria
- 57% Creative festivals held in Melbourne
- 43% Creative festivals held in regional Victoria
- 9,000,000 Approximate total attendance of all Victorian creative festivals annually
- 35% Creative festival attendees are tourists (intrastate, interstate and international)
- 12,000 People employed by creative festivals
- 31,000 Volunteers engaged by creative festivals and provide opportunities for
- 80,000 Opportunities provides by creative festivals for creative practitioners.
- 50% Creative festivals started in the last ten years.
The review identified a number of challenges facing the festivals sector, including:
- Victoria’s festival calendar was congested with a high concentration in the summer months
- 20% of all festivals were held in March
- Opportunities for networking and collaboration were ad hoc, limiting knowledge sharing, coordination and skill development.
Review recommendations
- Invest in a consolidated festivals calendar
- Support specialist marketing and audience development assistance for Victorian festivals
- Support a body or platform to connect festivals and foster collaboration.
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