New Music Competition 2027 - Terms & Conditions
Terms and conditions
To be eligible for the NEW MUSIC STAGE:
- The band/act must have written and performed the original materials submitted in the application
- The band/act must have sufficient original material (no covers) to perform a 30-minute set.
- The band/act must not be receiving financial assistance from a label
- The band/act must reside in Australia.
By completing this application form, you will be considered for the NEW MUSIC STAGE at St Kilda Festival 2027. Please note that other St Kilda Festival stages are programmed separately, and you cannot apply for these stages.
By submitting an application on behalf of your band/act, you agree to being available to perform live on the New Music Stage at St Kilda Festival on Sunday 21 February 2027 with time to be advised once the shortlisted acts have been chosen. You will need to cover your own costs to get to and from the Festival site to perform.
This application process does not guarantee that your band/act will perform at the St Kilda Festival. A selection process will take place once applications have closed and you will be notified in mid-September 2026 on the outcome of your application.
If your application is successful, the contract will reserve the Council the right to make use of the band/act’s name, biographical information, images, songs and other related materials for the purpose of advertising, publicising and promoting St Kilda Festival through such outlets as print, TV, radio and online media.
It is the entrant's responsibility to protect the copyright of their own work. The St Kilda Festival and City of Port Phillip has no such obligations or liability regarding this matter.
Applications open 10 am (AEST) Friday 24 July and close 5 pm (AEST) Monday 10 August 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Judging Criteria
Applications will be judged according to the following weighted critieria:
1. Live Performance & Audience Impact
2. Songwriting, Artistic Identity & Festival Fit
3. Musicianship & Technical Execution
The judging panel will also consider diversity and program alignment as additional factors alongside the weighted criteria.
Privacy and Collection of Personal Information
The personal information requested in the form is being collected by the City of Port Phillip (CoPP) and will be handled in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014. The information will be used solely by the council for that primary purpose or directly related purposes. It will be treated in compliance with the CoPP Information Privacy Policy and the Information Privacy Act.
