Every January, as festival lineups start dropping, I get the same question from artists and managers: “How do I get on that lineup?” It’s a fair question, and the answer is less mysterious than people think. But it requires understanding how festival programming actually works from the inside.

I’ve been involved in festival programming at various levels over the years, and I’ve watched how the best bookers make their decisions. Here’s the truth of it.

Understanding the booker’s job

A festival programmer is trying to build a lineup that achieves several things simultaneously: sells tickets, fits the brand, fills specific time slots, balances genres and energy levels, and stays within budget. They’re working with constraints that artists often don’t see.

They’ve got a headline budget that’s already spoken for. They’ve got a mid-card that needs to bridge the gap between the opening acts and the headliners. They’ve got a small-stage program that showcases emerging talent. And they’ve got every manager, agent, publicist, and artist in the country sending them emails, messages, and calls.

What gets you noticed

Live reputation. This is the number one factor. Festival bookers attend shows, and they talk to each other. If your band is consistently putting on great live performances that draw crowds, bookers know about it. There is no substitute for being genuinely good live.

Play as many shows as you can in the twelve months before festival submission deadlines. Play in different cities. Play support slots for bigger acts. Play showcases. Every show is an audition, whether you realise it or not.

Evidence of audience. Bookers need to justify every slot on the lineup, and “audience” is the currency. This means ticket sales data, streaming numbers (particularly local listener counts), social media engagement, and evidence that people will actually show up when your name is on the bill.

If you can demonstrate that you’ve sold 200 tickets to a headlining show in Sydney, that’s far more valuable than 50,000 Spotify streams from listeners in Brazil. Local, demonstrable audience is what sells festival slots.

Professional representation. Having a booking agent or manager who has existing relationships with festival programmers makes a significant difference. Not because of favouritism, but because agents and managers speak the language, present information in a useful format, and can negotiate logistics efficiently.

If you don’t have an agent, that doesn’t disqualify you. But your submission needs to be professional, concise, and demonstrate the same information an agent would present.

What gets you ignored

Unsolicited emails with no context. “Hey, check out my band” with a SoundCloud link and nothing else goes straight to the bottom of the pile. Bookers receive hundreds of these. Make it easy for them.

Exaggerated claims. If you say you’ve “sold out” a venue and the booker checks and finds you played to 30 people at a 200-cap room, you’ve lost credibility. Be honest about where you’re at. A band that’s genuinely building is interesting. A band that’s inflating their numbers is annoying.

Badgering. Follow up once, politely, after a reasonable interval. Then let it go. Festival programmers remember who hassled them, and not in a good way.

No live content. In 2026, not having live video content of your band performing is a major gap. Bookers want to see what the audience will see. A professionally filmed live clip from a recent show is worth more than a slick music video.

The submission

When you submit to a festival, include:

• A one-paragraph band bio (not your life story)
• Key metrics: streaming numbers, recent ticket sales, social media followers
• Links to live performance video
• Your agent or manager’s contact details
• Any relevant media coverage or playlist placements
• Your availability for the festival dates

Keep it to one page. Bookers are time-poor. Make it easy for them to say yes.

The long game

Most artists don’t get on a major festival lineup on their first attempt. The typical path is: play small stages at smaller festivals, build your live reputation and audience over two to three years, graduate to mid-card slots, and eventually reach the point where festival bookers are calling you rather than the other way around.

It’s not glamorous, and it’s not fast. But it’s how virtually every Australian artist who headline festivals got there. Put in the work, play great shows, build your audience, and the festival spots will follow.