Can Charli XCX save Australia's music festival industry?

Brat summer is officially coming to Australia.

Superstar singer Charlie XCX will headline Laneway in 2025. The excitement is palpable – but the story of the last few years of music festivals in this country has not been a good one, with countless examples of big-ticket headlining artists dropping out at the last minute.

The cost of living is hitting organizers and punters alike, and there has been a clear, industry wide slump in ticket sales. So, with today’s big announcement, there is an important question to music fans across the country – can we put our trust in music festivals anymore? And how do we know that this latest, massive headliner, is a sure thing?

On this episode of The Briefing, Triple Js Music News Producer Courtney Fry joins Helen Smith to shine some light on the state of the industry right now, and if she thinks the promise of Charlie playing in Australia will become a reality.

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