Leading entertainment promoters launch 'Vax the Nation' campaign

More than 200 of Australia’s biggest artists and performers have today joined with tour promoters, music festivals, venues, ticketing agencies, record labels, comedy producers, theatre and opera companies, streaming platforms, industry associations and peak bodies, to launch a new campaign - #VAXTHENATION - urging Australians to get vaccinated in order to bring forward the restart of the live entertainment industry.

Advocating the need to “#VAX THE NATION and stop the interruptions, a statement from the campaign advises “Australia, it’s time to get our live industry back on the road.

"Remember that incredible feeling of singing along to your favourite band in a crowd of thousands, arms around your mates under an open sky. Hearing an entire audience laugh alongside you at a sold-out comedy show. Feeling the passion at your local theatre, or getting lost in the beauty of a classical symphony performance?

“Australia’s $36.4 billion live entertainment industry is speaking out … let's roll up our sleeves, get vaxxed and stop the interruptions.”

The campaign is an initiative of the newly formed LIVE (Live Industry Venues + Entertainment) Alliance, backed by promoters Frontier, Chugg Entertainment and Illusive Presents, that represents an industry that has been one of the hardest hit by lockdowns and border closures in the past 18 months - with 79,000 jobs and $23.6 billion of economic output having been lost during the pandemic.

The campaign starts today with national TV and an artist content campaign, complemented by a paid digital and social campaign, as well as outdoor advertising and billboards in Victoria, NSW and Queensland.

The secondary campaign will focus on artist involvement, while also paying attention to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, regional and rural communities.

On Saturday, Live Performance Australia Chief Executive, Evelyn Richardson, warned that major live shows would be unable to return until 85% capacity was permitted by state governments.

Richardson told Nine media “while there may be some smaller productions that could operate at less than that, they would be very small in number.

“Any commercial event, be it musical, theatre, concert or festival, can’t operate financially at less than 85%.”

The LIVE Alliance which includes representatives from organisations Association of Artist Managers (AAM), Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC), Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), APRA AMCOS, Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), Australian Festivals Association (AFA), Frontier Touring/Mushroom Group, the Live Entertainment Industry Forum, Live Nation, Live Performance Australia (LPA), Secret Sounds and TEG.

With a target of 80% vaccinations previously agreed by National Cabinet, the LIVE Alliance says vaccinations are not only important for overall public health but an essential step in stopping the ongoing and devastating effect to our live entertainment and events industry.

LIVE Alliance members say “the impact of the pandemic on Australia’s world-leading music, theatre, comedy and live entertainment industries has been truly devastating. Getting vaccinated is the crucial step fans can take which will allow us to join together and enjoy the unbeatable magic of live performance once again.”

#VAXTHENATION Artist Supporters: #1 Dads, A. GIRL, A.B Original, Adam Harvey, Alex Lahey, Alex The Astronaut, Alexander Gow, Aleyce Simmonds, Ali McGregor, Alice Ivy, Alice Skye, Amber Lawrence, Amity Affliction, Amy Shark, Amyl & The Sniffers, Andy Garvey, Angie Hart (Frente), Anna Lunoe, Archie Roach, Art vs Science, Ashwarya, Baby Animals, bad//dreems, Bakers Eddy, Ball Park Music, Ben Lee, Bernard Fanning, Bianka Ismailovski, Big Scary, Birds Of Tokyo, Blake O'Connor, Bob Evans, Bodyjar, Boom Crash Opera, Bootleg Rascal, Brendan Gallagher, Brett Blake, Briggs, Casey Barnes, Catherine Britt, Celeste Barber, Children Collide, Christian Hull, Clare Bowditch, Clowns, Colin Lane, Collar, Confidence Man, Conrad Sewell, Cosmos Midnight, Courtney Act, Courtney Barnett, Cry Club, Cub Sport, Custard, Cut Copy, Dane Simpson, Darren Hayes, Daryl Braithwaite, Dave Thorton, David Campbell, David Hirschfelder, Dear Seattle, Death By Denim, Didirri, Diesel, EGOISM, Em Rusciano, Emma Donovan, Eskimo Joe, Fanny Lumsden, FOURA, Frenzal Rhomb, Front End Loader, Georgia Mac (Camp Cope), Georgia May, G Flip, Gina Jeffreys , G, Gordi, Graace, Graeme Connors, Gretta Ray, Gretta Ziller, Grogans, Guy Sebastian, Harvey Sutherland , Hatchie, Henry Wagons, Hilltop Hoods, Holy Holy, Human Nature, Ian Moss, Iaokim, Isaiah Firebrace, Iva Davies (ICEHOUSE), J-MILLA, Jake Howie, James Reyne, Jamie Payet, Jasmine Rae, Jebediah, Jen Cloher, Jesswar, Jetty Road, Jimmy Barnes, John Williamson, Jon Stevens, Jordan Barr, Josh Pyke, Judith Lucy, June Jones, Kate Miller-Heidke, Kimberley Wheeler, KLP, Kye, L D R U, Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes, Lachlan Edwards, Last Dinosaurs, Laura Imbruglia, Lior, Liz Stringer, Lizzy Hoo, Lonelyspeck, Lord Fascinator, Love, Marco, Lucy Durack, Maddy Jane, Marcia Hines, Mark Seymour, MAY-A, McAlister Kemp, Mel Blue, Melanie Dyer, Melinda Schneider, merci, mercy, Merrick Watts, Mia Wray, Micra, Middle Kids, Midnight Oil, Mikey Robins, Mildlife, Miss Blanks, Moaning Lisa, Montaigne, MzRizk, Nat Bartsch, Nazeem Hussain, Neil Murray, Nick Barker, Nikki Britton, Nina Las Vegas, Ninajirachi, Noah Dillon, O'SHEA, Ocean Alley, Odette, Olympia, Palms, Paul Kelly, Peach PRC, Peking Duk, Pete Murray, Peter Bibby, Pierce Brothers, Pinkiscool, Planet, Pleasure Coma, PNAU, Polish Club, Pond, Powderfinger, RAT!hammock, Ratcat, Regurgitator, Rest For The Wicked, Richard Clapton, Roger King OAM, Romero, Ross Wilson, Rudely Interrupted, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Sahara Beck, San Cisco, Shane Nicholson, Shannen James, Sheppard, Shihad, Shiny Joe Ryan, Short Stack, SHOUSE, Something For Kate, Spacey Jane, Spiderbait, Sputnik Sweetheart, Step-Panther, Sycco, Teenage Joans, The Angels, The Aston Shuffle, The Bushwackers, The Jungle Giants, The Living End, The Paper Kites, The Rubens, Thomas Porter, Tim Minchin, Tom Ballard, Tom Gleeson, Tornado Club, Touch Sensitive, Towns, Troy Cassar-Daley, upsidedownhead, Urzila Carlson, Vance Joy, Vidya Rajan, Vika & Linda, WAAX, Willaris K, Wolfmother, Yen Strange, You Am I, Zoë Coombs Marr

#VAXTHENATION Campaign Partners: a day on the green Ability, APRA AMCOS, Arts Central Melbourne, ASM Global, Australia Council for the Arts, Association of Artist Managers (AAM), Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO), Australian Festivals Association (AFA), Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), Australasian Music Publishers’ Association Limited (AMPAL), Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), Beyond The Valley, Bluesfest, Cattleyard Promotions, Century Venues, Chugg Entertainment, CMC Rocks, COMEDY STORE, DanceWize, Digby Law, Enmore Theatre, Factory Theatre, Falls Festival, Festival X, For The Love, Frontier Touring, Fuzzy, Grapevine, Groovin The Moo, Handsome Tours, Hardware Group, Illusive Presents, Kobalt Music, Kicks Entertainment, Laneway, Live Nation Australia, Live Performance Australia (LPA), Manning Bar (University Of Sydney), Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), Metro Theatre, Mellen Events, Michael Cassel Group, MJR Presents, Moshtix, Mushroom Group, Music NT, Music SA, Music Tasmania, Music Victoria, MusicACT, MusicNSW, ONELOVE Music Group, Opera Australia, Palais Theatre, Perth Festival, Pitch, Playbill Group, Proxy, Q Music, RedHill Entertainment, Roundhouse Entertainment, Secret Sounds, Sony Music Australia and Sony Music Publishing, Spilt Milk, Splendour in the Grass, SUN CYCLE, Super Special, TEG, TEG Dainty, TEG Live, TEG Van Egmond, The Annex, The Concourse, The Fortitude Music Hall, The Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Sydney Opera House, Ticketek, Ticketmaster Australia, TikTok, UNIFIED Music Group, Universal Music Australia, Untitled Group, Venue Management Australia (VMA), Village Sounds, WAM, Warner Music Australia, Wildlands, YouTube Music, Zaccaria Concerts & Touring

#VAXTHENATION Campaign Supporters: AKA Australia/Anthem, AMPLIFIRE, ARNs iHeartRadio, KIIS and Gold Networks. AUM, Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR), Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH), Australian Live Music Business Council (ALMBC), Australian Music Centre, Big Red Bash, Blue Max Music, Bolster, Bossy Music, Channel Seven, Cartel Management Australia, Collective Artists, Country Music Association of Australia (CMAA), CrewCare, Daydream Nation, Drew Process, Eleven Music, EMC, Empire Touring, Endless Recordings, EMI Australia, Far Land Creative, Feld Entertainment, Five Four Entertainment, Foundation Theatres, Freedom Day Festival, Garma Festival NT, Global Cities After Dark, Good One, GWB Entertainment, Handshake MGMT, Heaps Gay, Hit Network, Hutch Collective, IMC Agency, I OH YOU, Isol Aid, Limelight, Live Music Office, Look Out Kid, Mardi Gras, Melbourne & Olympic Parks, Melbourne Recital Centre, Mirror Music Group, More Talent, MOTHERSHIP EVENTS, Mushroom Music Publishing, Music In Exile, National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island Music Office (NATSIMO), New World Artists, Newtheatricals, Niche , Nightlife Music, NLV Records , NOVA Entertainment, NYE In the Park, Our Golden Friend, Oztix, Pavillion , Penny Drop, Point Blank Group, Poof Doof, Private Idaho Management, Rad Music Management, RISING, Remote Control , Scene & Heard, Select Music, Sounds Australia, Sound Merch, Spinning Top, Strawberry Fields, Supersonic, Support Act, The Australian Ballet, The Music, The Push, The Outback Music Group, The Triffid, Tiny Triumphs, This That, Token, Virgin Music, Warm Water, WME, Wonderlick Entertainment, Yours & Owls, Yaluk-ut Weelam Ngargee Festival.

Click here to visit the #VAXTHENATION website.