Festival Blueprint
Representing more than 85 festival organisers, suppliers and industry stakeholders, the Australian Festival Association was established in 2018 to advocate for the long-term sustainability of Australia's music festival sector through policy reform, industry collaboration and best-practice standards, and now they bring you the Festival Blueprint.
The Australian Festival Association (AFA) last week unveiled the Festival Blueprint, the first industry-led best practice guide created specifically for New South Wales music festivals, providing organisers with a central resource to help navigate the increasingly complex festival landscape.
“As music festivals evolve to face the current challenges and opportunities, Festival Blueprint will help ensure NSW continues to lead the way. We’re excited to see the impact it can have for organisers, audiences and the communities hosting our festival.” - John Graham MLC, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy
Funded by SoundNSW, the free online guide brings together practical advice, regulatory information and industry expertise into a single evolving framework with the aim to improve collaboration between festival organisers, government agencies, suppliers and emergency services while promoting safer and more consistent event planning.
“The Festival Blueprint consolidates the festival industry's collective knowledge, guiding organisers of every scale to deliver safe, well-run events that communities love.” - Adelle Robinson, Chair of the AFA & CEO of Fuzzy Operations:
Developed through consultation with more than 70 contributors, including festival organisers, government representatives, emergency services, suppliers and UK event specialists involved in the internationally recognised Purple Guide, Festival Blueprint has been tailored specifically to the NSW operating environment. The framework was also shaped through engagement with the legislated NSW Music Festival Roundtable.
“Putting on a music festival means navigating an enormous number of moving parts, from planning approvals and policing through to medical, crowd management and safety. Until now, there hasn’t been one place in NSW where organisers can go to understand what good practice actually looks like.” - Adam Smith, Yours and Owls Festival & AFA Board Member
Launching with its first five chapters, Festival Blueprint is intended to become a living resource, with additional guidance, practical tools, workshops and training to be rolled out over time. The Australian Festival Association also hopes to expand the framework nationally in the future.
The launch comes as Australia's festival sector continues to navigate rising operating costs, insurance challenges and increasing regulatory requirements despite strong audience demand. AFA Chair and Fuzzy Operations CEOAdelle Robinson said the Blueprint brings together the collective knowledge of the industry to help organisers deliver safe, well-run festivals, while AFA Board Member and Yours and Owls Festival DirectorAdam Smith said the resource would create clearer expectations, reduce duplication and improve collaboration between organisers and government agencies.
More information about Festival Blueprint via festivalblueprint.com.au
More Information about the Australian Festival Association via www.afa.net.au
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