Melbourne Fringe Rejects A Fair Cut Campaign Demands for Lower Artist Fees

An open letter from the A Fair Cut campaign, endorsed by 580 artists and supporters, was turned down by the Melbourne Fringe Board. This letter sought a decrease in fees at the Trades Hall Hub, specifically asking to revert the box office cut from 35% back to 30% and to change the ticket sales calculation from gross to net. Michael Kantor, the Board chair, explained that the requests could not be accommodated for the 2026 festival due to fixed budgets and operational expenses. Lukas Meintjes, whose show B48Y Crash Lands on Earth! is scheduled for 2025, expressed disappointment and has withdrawn from two venue offers for this year's festival. Danny Delahunty, Acting Creative Director/CEO, defended the 35% cut as essential for covering significant venue losses, noting that artists contributed $185,000 in 2025 while Fringe covered $325,000. He stated that altering the fee structure wouldn’t resolve the underlying costs. Meanwhile, two independent venues, Arthur Art Bar in Adelaide and The Motley Bauhaus in Carlton, have opted for a 70/30 net fee arrangement, although Jason Cavanagh from The Motley Bauhaus clarified it was not a direct reaction to the campaign. Meintjes is now concentrating on the Edinburgh Fringe, where the cut is 40% plus VAT, and has proposed the establishment of a new 'Fringe of the Fringe' to promote fairer practices. The 2026 Melbourne Fringe Festival is set to take place from 29 September to 18 October.