LPA Urges Election Candidates to Back Arts and Entertainment

Live Performance Australia (LPA) is urging federal election candidates to outline their plans for supporting Australia’s live arts and entertainment sector, a crucial part of the country’s culture. This industry, spanning ballet, theatre, music festivals, and concerts, engages more Australians than all major sports combined.

Key stats:

• Over two-thirds of Australians attend live events.
• In 2023, there were more than 30.1 million ticketed attendances at live events.
• 97% of Australians engage with the arts in some form.

The creative and performing arts sector is part of Australia’s $64 billion cultural and creative industries, contributing 2.5% to GDP—comparable to agriculture and accommodation services.

“Investing in live arts creates jobs, builds resilience, supports social well-being, and takes Australian creativity to the world,” said Eric Lassen, LPA Chief Executive. “But with higher production costs, skills shortages, and shifting audience behaviours, there’s no room for complacency.”

LPA’s recommendations for the 2025 election include:

• A 40% Live Theatre Production Incentive for theatre producers.
• A strategic plan for Australian live music to support artists and festivals.
• Continued support for Creative Australia, the government agency for performing arts.
• A Business Innovation Fund to develop new business models post-pandemic.
• A Reserves Rebuild Fund to restore financial reserves for arts organisations.
• Expanding Public Benevolent Institutions (PBI) status to attract skilled staff and donations.
• National skills and training initiatives to address industry shortages.
• More opportunities for young people to engage in live performance, including a ‘See It Live’ cultural pass program.
• Increased investment in regional Australian performances and international arts exports.
• Funding for performing arts venue renewals and regional accessibility.
• A Local Programming Fund to support community-based arts programming.

“We look forward to working with the incoming government to build a thriving, dynamic live arts industry for local and global audiences,” Lassen said.

For more info, visit liveperformance.com.au.