New South Wales government passes historic bill to protect live music venues

The New South Wales government has passed a historic bill to protect live music venues, events and festivals in the Australian state.

On September 24, the NSW Minister for Music and Night-Time Economy, John Graham, revealed that a "world-first" legislation has been passed to support the long-term future of live music.

The Contemporary Music Act 2026 includes new initiatives, such as the Establishing a Music Venue Recognition Scheme, a "three-tier system" made to recognise "dedicated and significant" live music venues.

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The system will allow recognised venues to garner government support such as allowing extended hours, incentives to host new, original live music, and giving access to grants. The scheme will launch later this year.

Elsewhere, the bill will encourage venues to support more local acts, no longer "punishing" events that are declared "large-scale festivals" because they host four or more acts within the same event.

It will also implement new noise assessment systems for outdoor events, cutting the number of noise breaches at concerts and festivals that often hit organisers with additional costs.

Other protection measures include dedicated dispute resolution support for venues, and "guiding principles for the industry", which will ensure that "fees are reasonable and risk assessments are not based solely on music genre".

"This legislation provides vital protections for our music industry, an industry which was smashed by lockouts, lockdowns, and overregulation, and it demonstrates the importance of live music to the economy and the cultural fabric of this state," says John Graham.

He adds: "This world-first legislation is about building a sustainable future, and helps venues and fans relax, and enjoy their next great gig."

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