Australian Open raising the bar for live music integration

Australian Open raising the bar for live music integration

This year’s Australian Open (AO) will host an array of live music performances as a key part of the three-week event. An RMIT expert explains why this is an important platform for Australian artists amid ongoing challenges faced by the music and festival sector. 

Sam Whiting, Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, Media and Communication 

"The Australian Open continues to raise the bar for the integration of music programing within a premier sporting event. 

"The emphasis on Australian artists and emerging talent demonstrated by the AO sets a high bar for other major sporting events in terms of entertainment and support for local artists. 

"This happens in the context of continued debate over the prioritisation of American artists at the NRL and AFL grand finals, and when streaming platforms and algorithms are making it harder for Australian artists. 

"The entertainment program also massively expands the capacity of the AO to appeal to new audiences, increasing attendance by a significant margin and engaging audiences far beyond tennis."

Sam Whiting is a Vice Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University and a 2024 Churchill Fellowship recipient. His published work is primarily focused on issues of capital, labour, and value as they relate to the creative industries and the cultural economy, specifically the political economy of the music industries. 

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General media enquiries: RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au

09 January 2026

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09 January 2026

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