The Challenge: Why Wellbeing at Festivals Matters
BIGSOUND is more than a music showcase — it’s the epicentre of Australia’s music industry, drawing thousands of artists, industry professionals, and fans to Fortitude Valley each year. For many, it’s career-defining: deals are struck, performances are reviewed, and networks are built. But the intensity that makes BIGSOUND so exciting also makes it overwhelming.
Research tells us that people working in music and live performance are up to twice as likely to experience anxiety and depression compared to the general population (Support Act / Centre for Social Impact, 2024). Add to that the high-stakes, overstimulating environment of a four-day festival program, and it’s clear that delegates need a safe space to rest, reset, and be supported.
Meanwhile, audiences are changing. Globally, post-pandemic event-goers expect more than just great shows — they want safety, comfort, and wellbeing built into the experience (Global Wellness Institute, 2025).
BIGSOUND 2025 became the stage where Hey Mate could show what happens when a festival takes those realities seriously.
About the Live Event Wellbeing Program (LEWP)
The Live Event Wellbeing Program (LEWP) is Hey Mate’s flagship model for embedding mental health and wellbeing supports into festivals, concerts, and touring environments.
LEWP is built on three key principles:
Low-barrier access – Wellbeing support should be visible, approachable, and stigma-free. Delegates can drop in for five minutes or stay for a full counselling session.
Culturally relevant care – Practitioners are not only clinically trained but also experienced in the creative industries. This ensures care that understands the pressures of music and live performance.
Integration with event operations – LEWP doesn’t sit on the sidelines. It’s connected with medical teams, organisers, and peer networks, making wellbeing part of the event design.
Since its launch, LEWP has been delivered at major festivals, concerts, and industry events across Australia — from grassroots gatherings to nationally significant platforms like BIGSOUND.
Our Approach at BIGSOUND 2025
Through QMusic’s Concert Care initiative, Hey Mate brought LEWP to BIGSOUND at 400 Rabbits.
Over three days (2–4 September), we created a wellbeing hub designed to be approachable, practical, and flexible. Here’s how it worked:
51 formal check-ins recorded, with many more informal visits
Peak usage in evenings (7–9:30pm), when overstimulation and fatigue were highest
Practical supports provided: sensory kits, headphones, sunglasses, snacks, water
Conversations & counselling: neurodiversity, overstimulation, relationships, substance use, and career stress
Collaboration: with Hi-Ground, festival services, and medical teams for wrap-around care
This wasn’t just a “quiet space.” It was a fully integrated wellbeing program — a place to rest, recharge, and connect with culturally safe practitioners.
Stories That Stuck With Us
Staying Instead of Leaving: One delegate experiencing acute sensory overwhelm was supported with a sensory kit, a grounding conversation, and time to reset. They later told us the hub made the difference between leaving early and staying to enjoy BIGSOUND.
Finding Calm in the Chaos: A delegate practising choreography used the hub to decompress. They described it as “a calm, neutral zone in the middle of everything.”
Peer Connection: Many delegates valued that the practitioners understood the music industry. As one put it: “I didn’t have to explain myself — you already got it.”
Why This Matters
1. Meeting Industry Need
The 2024 Support Act report found that 56% of music and live arts workers have considered leaving the industry due to stress. LEWP tackles this head-on, providing culturally relevant, immediate support to keep people engaged and safe.
2. Responding to Audience Trends
Audiences now expect wellbeing at live events. From UK chill-out tents to European festival wellbeing hubs, the trend is clear: care is no longer optional. BIGSOUND, through LEWP, is at the forefront of embedding this in Australia.
3. Strengthening Sustainability
Australia’s live music sector contributes $21.8 billion to GDP and supports nearly 500,000 jobs (Creative Australia, 2024). Wellbeing programs like LEWP strengthen sustainability by improving delegate experience, supporting artist and staff resilience, and enhancing festival reputation.
Lessons for the Future
From BIGSOUND 2025, we identified key improvements for next year:
A welcome/triage desk to orient delegates and improve data capture
Stronger signage and wayfinding to help people find the hub quickly
Stocking more resources (sensory kits, snacks, water) to meet evening peaks
Exploring a more central yet quiet location for accessibility
Our Takeaway
BIGSOUND 2025 proved that wellbeing belongs at the heart of live events. Delegates didn’t just use the hub when in crisis — they used it to pause, connect, and re-energise, making wellbeing part of their festival journey.
Through LEWP, Hey Mate is showing that live events can be both vibrant and caring. By embedding wellbeing alongside creativity, we’re building a sector where people feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.
