Regional Festivals: Lessons and Insights from AFIC 2025
Author: Linda Tillman
This week I joined festival and event leaders from across Australia (and beyond) at the Australian Festival Industry Conference in Brisbane. It was an insightful program of presentations, panels, and conversations that drilled into the challenges and opportunities facing our sector.
As a regional event specialist, I listened with an ear to how these lessons apply to rural and regional festivals and events - the heartbeat of many Australian communities. Here are some of the key takeaways I believe are most relevant.
1. The Power of the Collective
John Rostron, CEO of the UK’s Association of Independent Festivals, showed just how powerful collective voices can be. With over 150 member festivals, their biggest focus has become lobbying - and it’s delivering results.
Highlights included:
Ticket levy: A $1 levy on tickets from big events goes into a fund supporting grassroots and regional festivals. Imagine what this could mean in Australia - major metro events helping sustain smaller regional ones.
Licensing reform: The UK government simplified red tape through a “licensing sprint.” Could Australia take a leaf out of that book?
Sustainability: Their Show Must Go On report provides a blueprint for festivals wanting to reduce environmental impact.
The message? We are stronger together. Regional festivals in Australia could benefit from similar collaboration and advocacy. Watch this space for an exciting announcement coming soon from the Australian Centre for Regional Events! Want to be among the founders of this collective? Email us at admin@australianregionalevents.com.au and we’ll make sure you’re the first in the know.
2. Regulatory Shifts in NSW
The Hon. John Graham MLC outlined changes in NSW designed to make festivals easier and cheaper to run. Councils will soon be able to create pre-approved development applications and traffic management plans, cutting average costs by up to 40%.
For regional organisers, this is a game-changer: fewer hoops, less red tape, and more time and resources to focus on delivering quality experiences. Let’s hope that other states and territories follow this lead!
Click here to read more about this reform.
3. Growing Events in Queensland
Tourism and Events Queensland’s Richard Clarke spoke about bold ambitions: growing the state’s events economy five-fold to $7B. Importantly, he emphasised homegrown events and the role they play in dispersing visitors beyond the big cities.
For regional festivals, the opportunity is clear: build events that are unique to your place, tell your community’s story, and tap into state-level strategies that value local flavour as much as major spectacles.
4. Event Marketing in 2025
Alana from Milestone Creative delivered a wake-up call: the way people discover and connect with events has changed forever.
A few key insights included:
Trust signals matter: Reviews, testimonials, FAQs, and photos on your website will build confidence.
Content is currency: Make it short, relevant, and video-first.
Searchability rules: Instagram and Google are search engines now. Optimise your event descriptions with relevant keywords, and don’t forget about AI and using long tail search terms.
Nano-influencers: Smaller, niche voices (1,000 - 10,000 followers) can drive more authentic engagement than big celebrity partnerships.
For regional events, this is gold. Your story, your images, and your community connections are your marketing superpowers.
5. Risk, Insurance & Sustainability
The insurance panel reminded us: AI can’t write your risk management plan. Document everything - incidents, site photos, contracts — and keep records for at least six years.
Meanwhile, the sustainability session showed that going green is not only the right thing to do, it can also save money. A simple tip is to start with a power audit to understand energy needs (most events oversupply) and look at off-grid solutions like batteries that are especially useful in regional settings.
If you are a regional event that is concerned about the cost of embedding sustainability into your event, check out this great initiative - Solar Slice - a 1.5% ticketing surcharge that will fund crucial carbon reduction measures for the live music and entertainment sector.
6. Lessons from Burning Man
Hearing from Burning Man’s Christopher Breedlove was fascinating. Their philosophy is about creating the framework and letting participants generate the content - a truly participatory model.
Takeaways for us:
Culture and values are everything.
Sustainability can be embedded into the attendee experience.
Fun is essential - if it’s not fun, it’s not sustainable.
For regional festivals, this is a reminder to lean into local culture and community, and to make participation part of the magic.
Oh and it’s great to also know that Burning Man started with less than 100 attendees at a festival on the beach. Anything is possible!
7. The Big Challenges Ahead
Across the panels, some common challenges kept cropping up:
Cost of living pressures on audiences and organisers.
Shorter sales windows and late ticket buying.
Rising supplier costs and licensing complexity.
Unpredictable weather.
Mental health and well-being of staff and volunteers.
Regional organisers are already experts in doing more with less, but these challenges underline the need to be agile, innovative, and deeply connected to your audiences.
Final Thoughts
AFIC 2025 reinforced for me that while the challenges are real - rising costs, climate, shifting audience behaviours - the opportunities for regional festivals are huge.
We can learn from international models like the UK’s ticket levy, embrace digital-first marketing strategies, and lean on our strengths: authenticity, community, and place.
Most importantly, collaboration - across councils, communities, and the festival sector - will be key to making regional events not just survive, but thrive.
Over to you: What do you think would make the biggest difference for regional festivals in Australia right now - reduced red tape, better funding models, or collective advocacy body? I’d love to hear your thoughts.