Live Music in Newcastle is receiving funding of $67,000 to keep local music fans singing and dancing.
The funding is being delivered to West Best Bloc Fest through the Australian Government’s Revive Live program, to assist with artist fees, sound and lighting costs for their 2025 event.
Organisers just successfully staged their third iteration of the event month, which attracted over 100 musical artists to 12 stages across 19 venues in Newcastle West.
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.
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. 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 disability can participate as a performer, arts worker, or audience member.
More information about Revive Live including successful applicants can be found here.
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke:
“The funding would help ensure the West Best Bloc Fest can continue to entertain live music fans in Newcastle.
“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.”
Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon:
“This funding is a huge win for Novocastrians and for our live music industry.
“We know that investing in live music makes sense. It’s a key part of our cultural identity and economic prosperity.
“Live music has long been a part of our DNA, and this funding will ensure West Best Bloc Fest continues that long tradition.”
Quotes attributable to West Best Bloc Fest founder Dylan Oakes:
“Our dream is to see Newcastle become an internationally recognised musical city.
“We’re constantly blown away by the quality of local artists, over 200 of whom applied for this year’s festival.
“West Best Bloc Fest is here long term to grow and put a spotlight on our local scene.”
