A veritable Justice League of Aussie music festival promoters are joining forces to create a new industry supergroup dubbed the Australian Festival Association (AFA), to defend our festies from the forces of evil and fight for truth, justice & straight-fire bangers.
Combining the powers of Jessica Ducrou (Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Download) Matthew Lazarus-Hall (CMC Rocks QLD), Rod Little (Groovin The Moo, The Plot), Adelle Robinson (Listen Out, Listen In, Field Day, Harbourlife, Curve Ball) and Danny Rogers (St Jerome’s Laneway Festival), the AFA was convened to “represent the common interests and aspirations of the Australian festival industry”.
And they may just be the heroes we deserve AND need right now.
In a joint statement, the AFA pledge that they’re committed to “helping members deliver safe and well-run festivals around Australia, and establishing world leading operating standards for our industry”.
Part of their role will be to help Aussie festivals “develop informed and unified strategies” in response to a range of issues currently dogging the industry, including liquor licensing, drug policy and pill-testing, ticket resales and more.
“Our aims are to make festivals safer for patrons, and reduce friction between festival promoters and regulatory bodies, by aligning evidence based practices and decades of combined industry experience with the requirements of government policy,” their statement reads.
“We are also committed to ensuring the ongoing viability of festivals as thriving businesses, significant municipal events and sites of global cultural exchange in the interest of all Australian citizens.”
They’re hoping to create a powerful alliance across the Aussie festival landscape that will allow members to access extensive resources, including best practice guides, liquor license application troubleshooting, AFA forums and conferences, industry contacts, legal advice and more, and — where necessary — take on The Man.
“Where our interests conflict with those of regulatory bodies, we strive to find rational, evidence based solutions, by learning from the concerns of those parties, and sharing our views and experiences with all stakeholders,” they pledge.
Game on, nanny state.
AFA membership is open to reps from festivals that have been operating for three years or more, are ticketed and licensed to sell alcohol, have a capacity of 2,000 patrons or more, and are prepared to operate their events within best practise guidelines.
The AFA also has membership plans for not-for-profit groups working within the festival landscape.
You can find out more info via their official website here.
UPDATE: Australia’s Biggest Music Festivals Join Forces To Call For Pill Testing
