How to support Aussie music after Splendour In The Grass ...

The shock of Splendour In The Grass cancelling its 2024 festival has rattled us all. It's like having the rug pulled out from under you while someone snatches your favourite toy away simultaneously. So now what?

The festival's organisers said that all tickets would be automatically refunded, which leaves a lot of people with a sudden boost in their bank accounts. Money that had previously been accepted as gone.

Maybe you booked accommodation and flights too which you're now having to get refunded. Maybe you hadn't even bought tickets yet but had some cash stashed away, just in case.

Whatever your Splendour fund looked like, there's something you can do with it to support all those Aussie artists who now have a gap in their calendar at the end of July.

Instead of beelining straight to online shopping, the pub or something else with that surprise cash, there's something else you could do.

Go to a gig. Catch a show. Line your next few months up with a few things to get around.

Let's say you had (or had your eye on) a three-day Splendour ticket with a camping pass. That's around $500 that you'll be getting back into your pocket.

While you could fire off some hot takes in the comments section and order in a crapload of takeaway, you could also put that cash straight back into the music community and support some local legends.

You've already girl-mathed that money out of existence anyway, so are you really missing it?

So what can you get around? That's what we're here for.

Every week we pull together a non-exhaustive gig guide, giving you a taste of what's going down in venues around the country over the weekend.

Check out our long weekend guide and drop into the comments if there's something happening near you.

Can't get to a gig but still want to support your local faves? You could pick up some merch!

We love to celebrate Ausmusic Tshirt Day every November during Ausmusic Month, but that love extends further than that one day - we've gotta wear clothes every day, right?

Even if you're a nudist you can still pick up some merch - maybe a water bottle or a hat is more in line with your style?

Whatever your dress levels, buying merch and physical music like CDs and vinyl is a way to directly support an artist.

Consider this your challenge - take that squirrelled away Splendour fund and put it into local gigs, merch and getting around the Aussie artists who depend on those big festivals to make new fans.