The effect will be a reduced venue hire fee at Accor Stadium, Allianz Stadium, CommBank Stadium, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle Entertainment Centre, the Sydney Cricket Ground and WIN Stadium and Entertainment Centre, along with Sydney Opera House in return for choosing a local act to open the show.
Australian music is facing its biggest challenge up against streaming services that favour American content and the decline of the local live scene that eroded venues during the lockouts then the COVID era.
Under the former Coalition government, NSW lost more than half its music venues. with just 133 registered across the state in March 2023. The Minns Labor Government is reviving the live music scene and has since grown the number to 435 through extending trading for venues that host local artists, but there is a need to get acts back on to the biggest stage to ensure Australia can continue to export our best talent to the world.
The NSW Government is the first in Australia to adopt 'Michael's Rule', named after the late artist manager Michael McMartin OAM whose passion was to see Aussie talent included on the stadium tours that take bands and solo artists to a whole new level and audience.
Oasis will tour Australia in October and November and have asked Australia's Ball Park Music to open for them while Dua Lipa gave Kita Alexander invaluable exposure as her support act during her tour of Australia and New Zealand.
Supporting the biggest tours is a proven pathway to success. Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers is now opening for Pearl Jam on a US stadium tour after doing so on their Australian tour. The Preatures, who supported Harry Styles, were able to book a 40-date regional tour as result.
Hoodoo Gurus, who were managed by Michael McMartin, saw their career take off after supporting Lou Reed in the 1980's, while Cold Chisel opened for Foreigner in the 1970s. In the 1990s, You Am I played Australia shows with Soundgarden before touring the US with them, and the 2007 Daft Punk tour was crucial to the Presets and their Apocalypso album.
The incentive will see the NSW Government reduce the venue hire fee by $20,000 for each eligible show across the Venues NSW network, and a $5,000 reduction at Sydney Opera House.
To be eligible, at least one Australian artist must be included as a support act on an international artist's headline tour. The Australian artist must appear on the same stage as the international artist and be announced at the same time as the tour.
The incentive will be available for an initial two-year period starting May 5.
Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:
"The Hoodoo Gurus got their first big break after they performed with Lou Reed in 1984.
"We want more Australian musicians to have that opportunity, performing on the biggest stages in NSW alongside the best international artists.
"Giving Aussie artists their first big break in front of thousands of locals will help them get high rotation on playlists and increase their chances of becoming the next big act."
Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy John Graham said:
"There were just three Australian albums in the ARIA top 100 charts in 2024. This represents a crisis for Australian music.
"The rise of streaming is flooding our market with American music and creating a roadblock for NSW artists trying to break through. By adopting Michael's Rule we will get more local acts on to the big stage.
"While local shows are suffering, fans are still paying the big money for big international acts. Michael's Rule will help our local artists capture that attention.
"We want Australian artists to benefit from international touring revenue so they can build their own careers and take our music to the world. Successful bands and artists at the top of the industry are an important part for the overall scene in NSW which supports 14,000 jobs and adds $5.5 billion to the state economy."
Minister for Sport and Minister for Jobs & Tourism Steve Kamper said:
"We are bringing the entertainment back to Sydney, last year we lifted the concert cap and now we have promoters currently holding enough dates for Allianz Stadium to fulfill the recently expanded concert cap. We want to see those dates locked in.
"To make the most of this uplift in entertainment, we want to see homegrown artists given the opportunity to grow their fanbase and the domestic music industry. The flow on effects of Michael's Rule will be huge not only for the artists, but for the pubs and clubs around NSW which will be packed with the new fans of our homegrown artists."
Head of Sound NSW Emily Collins said:
"Australian artists are fighting an uphill battle with streaming services and social media algorithms when it comes to having their music be discovered by new audiences.
"This Australian-first policy is one small way the NSW Government can throw its weight behind home-grown talent, and give them a platform with high exposure and a unique opportunity to supercharge their career. It's also a great way to start introducing music-loving locals to some of our amazing talent and build lifelong fans, right here at home."
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers said:
"We are so happy to hear the news that the NSW Government are taking these steps to support Michael's Rule. We received the news at the airport on our way to Nashville to support Pearl Jam so we are proof that having Australian artists on international tours at home really does impact careers. Hopefully other states will join the call!"
Ball Park Music said:
"There's no denying the benefit of a big support slot. The opportunity to play your music live in front of a new audience is the best marketing we have as artists, the chance to showcase what we're all about in the most real and authentic fashion.
"In our career to date, we've had - and continue to get - great support slots where we've seen a direct growth in our audience that often translates to a boost in our number of long-term fans, none of which would have discovered us without that exposure.
Any initiative that can help amplify Australian talent, increase exposure, and aid in building a long term and engaged audience is a massive step in the right direction."
