For theater enthusiasts like Martha Lott, this is one of the busiest times of the year. The artistic director of Holden Street Theatres will host over a dozen shows as part of the Adelaide Fringe, Australia's largest arts festival, which opened on Friday. However, once the excitement fades and visitors return home, the laughter and applause from regular audiences are more subdued than ever.
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02-22, 2025Ms. Lott stated, "We deliberately lowered ticket prices for small venues like ours, and we're not making a profit from it. It's better to sell out the theater at a lower price than to sell half the seats at a higher price." She added that the company decided to lower ticket prices at the beginning of last year because, amid the cost-of-living crisis, more and more customers could not afford "luxuries" like theater tickets.
Ms. Lott revealed that audience numbers have dropped to around 60%. "It's not good for the bottom line, it means some people can't get paid, and we have to use a lot of volunteer work." She also stated that the commitment to maintaining affordable ticket prices has impacted the theater's operations. "We're not London or America, where producers can make millions of dollars; we do this largely out of love... We break even, barely managing to operate."
"As the cost of living rises, everything costs more, and artists take great risks to perform; they often work for free for the sake of art," Ms. Lott said. Last month, the popular American Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen" canceled its Adelaide and Canberra seasons due to poor ticket sales, despite the show being "very successful" in Melbourne and Sydney. A spokesperson for the Australian production company, Michael Cassel Group, stated, "We didn't see the same enthusiasm from audiences in Canberra and Adelaide, so it wasn't viable to tour 'Dear Evan Hansen' there. Canceling a season is always a difficult decision and is only taken as a last resort after thorough consideration and deep regret."
The state arts industry council stated that this was a disappointing move, but not surprising. Joint chair of the council, Ruth Weldon, said, "South Australian artists are struggling to get their shows off the ground, and the cost of living is definitely having an impact. It certainly sends a message that South Australia may not have as many willing ticket buyers as other places." Ms. Weldon also mentioned that the state has lost several independent theaters in the past few years due to "extremely high" operating costs. "It feels like things have become more severe in the past two to five years—the impact of declining ticket sales, and it's harder to fill theater seats," she said. "Simple things like buying props and materials cost more." Ms. Weldon stated that she is awaiting the results of the state government's new cultural policy, which is expected to be released this year and aims to develop new ways to support the arts.
Country Arts SA brings theater, comedy, dance, and music to regional cities including Whyalla, Port Pirie, Renmark, and Mount Gambier. Chief executive Anthony Peluso said that while audience numbers have been recovering since the pandemic, the recovery has slowed in the past year. "It's down about 12%, which is a pretty significant drop in attendance for us," Mr. Peluso said. "We think it's because the cost of living is really starting to bite, and people are having to make choices about where they spend their money." He added that audiences are increasingly inclined to buy tickets the day before a performance to ensure they can afford it, which puts pressure on theaters and promoters. "Unfortunately, we've seen some shows canceled this year simply because there weren't enough advance ticket sales."
However, organizers of the Adelaide Fringe said they are not facing poor ticket sales. Artistic director Heather Croall said Fringe ticket sales are up 15% compared to the same time last year, with more than 314,500 tickets sold so far. "I think that's largely to do with affordability, but also to do with the really innovative marketing that we do," Ms. Croall said. "The average ticket price for the Fringe is around $32, which is a very affordable price point, and people can go and see a show, have a drink, and hang out with their friends." Ms. Croall said she hopes to reach the target of 1 million tickets sold for the third year in a row, with about 80% of tickets sold during the festival. "Most tickets are sold on the day of the show, which is a very nerve-wracking process for artists because people always leave it to the last minute to buy tickets," she said. "That's a norm in Adelaide and South Australia; people do buy tickets very late."
