Young Australians Are Choosing International Acts Over Local Artists

Amyl and the Sniffers at Rough Trade. (Credit: Paul Hudson under the Creative Commons License)

Young people are opting towards international acts rather than Australian artists at a higher rate than before, despite Australia’s passion for live music culture.

This has posed a challenge for smaller Australian live music venues' ability to flourish, as the majority of their revenue stems from Australian artists' gigs. 

This struggle has been felt by smaller local music venues such as Northcote Social Club, The Rooks Return, or the Curtain Hotel - all of whom prioritise promoting local artists.

According to a 2025 Creative Australia live music report, younger Australians describe the local music industry as “struggling”, and often do not show interest in smaller gigs that feature Australian artists.

Local musician and bartender at popular live music venue Creatures of Habit, Jasper Cahill said that local Australian artists can feel “pushed away”, as if they are “not the priority” in the face of larger international acts.

Jasper Cahill, local musician and bartender at Creatures of Habit. (Credit: Jasper Cahill)

As per Creative Australia’s report, international acts at larger venues, such as stadiums or theatre halls, are seen by Australians as a “once in a lifetime experience”, whereas Australian artists are constantly accessible.

This is reflected in the popularity of large scale tours, such as Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ that sold 288,000 tickets over three nights or Ed Sheeran’s ‘Mathematics Tour’, which sold 109,500 tickets for a single show—making him the highest selling concert in Australian history. 

“There’s something to be said about our geographical location (...) it’s less common for international acts to include Oceania as a part of a ‘world tour’,” Cahill argued. 

The inclusion of Australia as a stop on wide-scale tours are few and far between, resulting in young people perceiving international acts as more important.

The prioritisation of international acts doesn’t just stop with fans; in Triple J’s ‘Hottest 100’ songs of 2024/25, only 29 Australian songs were featured, two of them being from Amyl and the Sniffers.

Smaller Australian artists have been pushed to the sidelines due to a lack of recognition and publicity.

The Creative Australia report mentions that young Australians are more likely to spend money on larger gigs and concerts with established international artists, rather than spend money on a smaller gig in which they may not know the artist performing.

However, small venues are often seen as a place where local artists develop and get established in the music scene. 

Renowned punk rock band Amyl and the Sniffers, which began by playing at grassroots pubs in Melbourne, has progressed into touring internationally and winning multiple ARIA awards for their music.

According to Cahill, there continues to be “independent movements bubbling underneath the mainstream”, in Australia’s live music capital.

Cahill argued that these acts need legislative support in order to compete with the popularity of international artists, in the form of reducing permit prices and banning ticket scalping.

Additionally, local venues continue to struggle to draw in younger Australians amidst a rising cost of living, in which ticket prices on average have risen by 22.6%, from $90 in 2022 to $111.48 in 2023, states Creative Australia.

“There is a clear focus on profit incentive and it’s being shown through all facets of our local and international spaces,” Cahill said.

Young people continue to be engaged with live music culture, however a rising cost of living means that many are unable to attend events or are choosing to attend larger scale international gigs.

Amidst the cost of living crisis, simply visiting the local pub helps support the success of independent Australian artists and strengthens Melbourne’s standing as the live music heart of Australia.