THE HON TONY BURKE MP
MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS
MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
MINISTER FOR CYBER SECURITY
MINISTER FOR THE ARTS
LEADER OF THE HOUSE

ALISON BYRNES MP
MEMBER FOR CUNNINGHAM

Live music in the Illawarra is receiving funding of over $295,000 to keep local music fans engaged through the Australian Government’s Revive Live program.

Revive Live is helping live music venues and festivals to continue to operate under tough conditions, with grants supporting live music in regional, remote and metropolitan areas across the country that reflect a diverse range of genres, organisations and audiences.

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the funding would help ensure performers and audiences in the Illawarra can continue to play and enjoy live music.

“Live music venues and festivals are the lifeblood of our local music scene and I want to ensure they remain a place for homegrown artists to perform.

“Revive Live is alleviating some of the additional costs facing our industry right now and will help them to be more sustainable into the future.”

Federal Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes MP said the funding was a win for locals and for the industry.

“Live music venues and festivals make a huge contribution to our local economy, with so many industries leveraging off the success of our live music scene.

“This funding will help grow the Illawarra’s ecosystem of live music for the future, bringing with it the positive contributions this industry makes to the wider cultural fabric of our region.”

“I am proud advocate and friend of the live music industry, and I can’t wait to see these events and venues prosper over the next 12 months”.

Through Revive Live, the Australian Government is providing grants of $7.7 million in total to 110 organisations, including 61 festival-based activities and 49 live music venues. The successful applicants include music businesses in Cunningham:

• Yours and Owls Events Pty Ltd receiving $190,719 for Yours and Owls Festival 2025
• Servo Food Truck Bar Pty Ltd receiving $49,000 for audio equipment costs to enable venue performances at the Servo.
• Port Kembla Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc receiving $32,500 for the Port Kembla Festival 2025
• Thirroul Music Festival receiving $25,000 for Thirroul Music Festival 2024

Established in the 2024-25 Budget, Revive Live aligns with the Government’s National Cultural Policy, Revive, which recognises the Australian music sector as a vibrant part of our arts and cultural landscape.

The program is providing critical support to the sector, with grants helping recipients to adapt to market pressures and improve the sustainability of their operations as well as improving accessibility at live music venues or festivals so that more people with disabilities can participate as a performer, arts worker, or audience member.

More information about Revive Live including successful applicants can be found here.

Photos available for download here.