No Dancing While Drinking – Discussion Paper
No Dancing While Drinking – Discussion Paper
The Parliament of Victoria has just released a discussion paper: ‘No dancing whilst drinking’: Challenges and opportunities for Victoria’s live music venues.
The report highlights several major challenges facing the sector, including soaring insurance premiums, inflation-driven cost pressures, and shifting audience behaviours—particularly among younger people, who are drinking less and attending live music events less frequently. While the sector’s overall revenue has rebounded since COVID, small and medium-sized venues continue to operate under significant strain.
The report underscores the urgent need for structural reform and calls for targeted government intervention, particularly in areas such as insurance, sustainable business models, and audience development.
Although the report mentions the ‘Agent Of Change’ process implemented by the Victorian Government, the report fails to mention the problems that this process has caused in Victoria as juxtaposed to the very successful model of ‘Special Entertainment Precincts’ that has been utilised by other states. The ALMBC has advocated for Victoria to utilise a precinct-based model, purely because of how successful this has been in every other location and we will continue to do so. We do believe that maintaining a focus on the Agent of Change process is placing some of Victoria’s most iconic venues at great risk.
We also support Music Victoria’s actions to support live music venues.
