Music Festivals Appeal Panel - FAQs
Interested in applying to the Music Festivals Appeal Panel? Find answers to frequently asked questions.
Reforms to the Music Festivals Act 2019 have established an appeal pathway for music festival organisers to apply for a reduction or waiver of user charges in limited and exceptional circumstances.
For the purposes of the Music Festivals Appeal Panel, a music festival is an event advertised as a music festival, consisting of at least five performances, marketed under a single banner, with a collective running time of at least five hours (either through single or consecutive multiple days).
Applications to the Music Festivals Appeal Panel are always open, however must be submitted to the Panel at least 8 weeks prior to the event.
Applications received outside the timeframes in the Ministerial order may be considered at the discretion of the Panel.
Music festival organisers are encouraged to submit their applications well in advance of the event.
The Music Festivals Appeal Panel consists of a member from the Premier’s Department, Sound NSW and Destination NSW, as a requirement outlined in the Music Festival Act 2019.
Applications must be submitted via the secure online portal.
Eligible applications are assessed by the Music Festivals Appeal Panel against the eligibility and assessment criteria outlined in the Music Festivals (Music Festivals Panel) Order 2025.
Applicants need to demonstrate that they have applied for an internal review of the charges and the review did not result in a fee reduction, or the fee deduction was inadequate, or that an internal review as not possible due to the timing of the exceptional circumstance.
Music festival organisers are required to submit the following information to be assessed by the Panel:
- user charges quotes and/or invoices received from NSW Government agencies
- a completed budget (a template is provided in the application form) of the proposed event, covering:
- actual and proposed income and expenses
- Ticket sales including area of purchaser from the prior two events and projected sales for this event
- Details of the costs of the exceptional circumstance
- audited financial statements from either:
- the two most recent financial years, or
- where the financial statements do not cover the year the festival was held, the financial years covering the period the festival was held
- user charges that the event has been levied in previous years.
The applicant will receive notification of the assessment outcome via return email and a summary of the decision will be published on the Decisions of the Music Festivals Appeal Panel page.
The Music Festivals Appeal Panel must determine the application outcomes at least 4 weeks prior to the event. Applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible, to enable earlier determination to be made.
No, decisions of the Panel are final.
No, the Music Festival Act 2019 and the Ministerial Order do not support applications for events that have already occurred.
There are other pathways available for an organiser to review the cost of user charges. Further information can be found on the Planning a music festival page.
The Sound NSW Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund supports existing large-scale contemporary music festivals presented in NSW with a track record of delivering significant outcomes for contemporary music.