Can Centrelink payment hikes boost music festival participation?

In a world where the cost of living seems to be perpetually on the rise, it's no surprise that discretionary spending, especially among the younger demographic, is taking a hit.

The pinch is being felt all the way to the music festival scene, a cultural staple for many young Australians.

But could increasing Centrelink payments be the solution to reviving this industry? This question has sparked a heated debate across the nation.



A bar owner's call to raise Youth Allowance and JobSeeker payments to enable young Aussies to afford nights out and attend music festivals has stirred controversy.

Hugh Scobie, co-owner of Ancient World, pointed to the cost-of-living crisis and rising rents as culprits preventing many from engaging in social activities and thereby crushing the entertainment industry.


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A bar owner called to raise Youth Allowance and JobSeeker payments so young Aussies can attend music festivals. Credit: Shutterstock


Music festivals, once seen as a rite of passage for the youth, are experiencing a significant drop in ticket sales.

‘Most people can't afford to spend $50 on a night out,' Scobie said.

'Raising JobSeeker and Youth Allowance to the amount recommended by the Australian Council of Social Service would help a lot.'

High-profile events like Splendour in the Grass have even been cancelled, with a report from Creative Australia’s Soundcheck revealing a 24 per cent drop in ticket sales. Among the key demographic of 18 to 24-year-olds from 2018/19 to 2022/23.

The National Arts Participation Survey echoed these findings, citing the cost of tickets as the most common barrier to attendance, impacting 55 per cent of respondents.

The most pronounced issue among party-goers under 35 was money issues, with nine out of 10 experiencing financial difficulty in 2023.



'We lost a huge amount of our audience–young people and students whose main income is from Centrelink–almost immediately after interest rates, rents, groceries, and petrol prices went up,' Scobie said.

'Seeing bands and socialising with their friends doesn't seem to be affordable for them in the current economic climate.'

JobSeeker recipients who are single and do not have children receive a fortnightly payment of $762.70, and those on Youth Allowance receive between $395.30 to $806, depending on their age, living arrangements, relationship status, and whether they have children.

Scobie suggested raising Centrelink payments per the Australian Council of Social Service's recommendation.

It is understood that the most extensive set of permanent Centrelink payment increases, particularly a $40 increase on JobSeeker and Youth Allowance, started on 20 September.

JobSeeker recipients, currently receiving an average of $55 a day, should have their payments increased to match the pension rate of $80 a day.



Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has weighed in, suggesting that more taxpayer funds should support festivals while also attributing festival cancellations to climate change and extreme weather events.

'Festivals are an important part of the arts and live music ecosystem. 'Festivals support jobs not only for artists but also in hospitality, tourism and trades as well,' Senator Hanson-Young said.

'It is not a surprise to hear festival organisers say that extreme weather and insurance are among their biggest challenges.’

'We have known for some time that extreme weather events and climate change are making it harder and more unpredictable to put on large-scale events.'
Key Takeaways
  • Festival ticket sales among young Australians aged 18 to 24 have significantly dropped, attributed to the cost-of-living crisis and ticket prices.
  • A bar owner, Hugh Scobie, has suggested raising Youth Allowance and JobSeeker payments to enable young people to participate in social activities like music festivals, which would support the entertainment industry.
  • The Soundcheck report revealed a 24 per cent drop in ticket sales within the key demographic for festivals and pointed to the financial pressures on young adults, with costs like rent and groceries limiting their ability to afford event tickets.
  • There have been several cancellations of major music festivals in Australia, with reasons ranging from economic pressures on consumers to challenges posed by extreme weather and the unpredictable nature of hosting large-scale events due to climate change.
Do you think Centrelink payments should be increased to support young people's participation in cultural events like music festivals? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
 
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Absolutely agree 100% even older jobseeker recipients such as myself simply cannot afford to enjoy simple pleasures that others on higher incomes take for granted.
 
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Yes it is a silly idea symptomatic of cost of living, which our government is ignoring.

Are any of the people commenting on a government pension? Has anyone tried getting a job in the current climate, where if you are young you are inexperienced, if you are older you are not up to it.
I have degrees and cannot get part time work. Anyone surviving on a government pension or benefits cannot afford to go out.
And yet many businesses and community services are scaling back or closing because they can’t get staff! Maybe you are being too picky about the jobs you will accept? We oldies all started at the bottom, and worked our any up!!
 
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And yet many businesses and community services are scaling back or closing because they can’t get staff! Maybe you are being too picky about the jobs you will accept? We oldies all started at the bottom, and worked our any up!!
Where are these jobs? I started at the bottom, petrol stations, odd jobs, driving instructor and worked my way up. I don't consider that picky. It is the businesses being too picky. The comment indicates superiority
 
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And yet many businesses and community services are scaling back or closing because they can’t get staff! Maybe you are being too picky about the jobs you will accept? We oldies all started at the bottom, and worked our any up!!
No, the give me, give me, generation want to start at the top and not work for it, and start on a HUGE wage.
 
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If anything the jobseeker payment should be reduced for anyone under the age of 18.. then after 18.. increased marginally to help them go to work, pay for a car and fuel etc, make them genuinely look for work. why should someone who drops out of school at the age of 15/16 get exactly the same as someone who lost a job at the age of 40/50, after paying taxes all those years… does this person think the older people on the pension wouldn’t like to also go out to socialize and be able to afford a meal out !!
 
This has got to be one of the most rediculous ideas I have ever heard. If young people want to go to these events then they should save up for them like everyone else. It's not surprising that Greens senator SH-Y is using this for political reasons. If the government has money to give away like this how about they raise the aged pension so that seniors can afford to eat properly? The youth of today need to learn that if you want something you earn it. It shouldn't be given to them without having to work for it.
 
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Seriously? What's the point of looking for work if you get allowances to "enjoy" yourself?
Of course, this call is from a member of the entertainment industry so he can get more money from kids who want to be entertained rather than work.
 
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Just an FYI, not all people on Job Seeker are young, and not all young people are lazy and don't want a job, not all young people can live at home, they struggle to buy food and pay rent, not all young people take drugs, it is so easy to criticize others, be careful when you point a finger at someone you are pointing three back at yourself.
 
I survived my youth quite happily without going to any of these events. I don't see it to be a right of passage. They need to learn how to budget and not spend on alcohol, gambling and cigarettes, then they might have enough money to spend on the things they need to spend their money on. Living expenses need to come first, and socialising comes after that. Today's youth expect everything to be a right and should be handed to them on a platter.
 
Well it would be one way of making the RBA increase interest rates because of increasing inflation and therefore cause many young families to default on their mortgage payments and lost their homes!!
Trouble is the young ones receive too much dole money and do not want to work where they would be subject to fares to and from work and end up with less than the dole!
 
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I'm a bit worried about the wine industry. Could the Government increase my pension to cover maybe a few bottles a week. I will do my best to drink as much as I can....
Can they increase mine too, but I will spend it on bills. I still won't have any left over for wine.
 
How terribly sad.
The unemployed Young people cannot afford to go to a music festival 😥
so the answer is to give this already “self entitled” generation, who want everything handed to them, an increase in job seeker allowance so they can attend these festivals!
The Job seeker allowance is just that, NOT a ticket to entertainment!
The answer is to reduce the payment and get them off their lazy backsides and get a job.

There are thousands of senior people on pitiful pensions that are struggling to feed themselves and they don’t deter a chance to out to enjoy themselves!
 
Yes it is a silly idea symptomatic of cost of living, which our government is ignoring.

Are any of the people commenting on a government pension? Has anyone tried getting a job in the current climate, where if you are young you are inexperienced, if you are older you are not up to it.
I have degrees and cannot get part time work. Anyone surviving on a government pension or benefits cannot afford to go out.
Every supermarket I go into is looking for staff, you don't need experience. I have a friend who works for Woolies, she said they can't get enough staff. Anything is better than nothing.
Sorry but degrees don't count for much these days, too many people with degrees in useless things.
 
Have these young people ever considered working to afford the things in life they want? Probably not! In the meantime, many businesses and services are being forced to close or scale back because they can’t get enough staff! A ridiculous suggestion! Hint to people - you want more out of life? - then go get a job!!
Seems to me it’s the entertainment industry who’s complaining not the young people who can’t afford it. Anyone who is renting at the moment is having a hard time. I’m 72 and still working part time because the pension doesn’t even pay our rent.
 
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