The squeeze: rising costs meet cautious consumers Australia’ s cost-of-living pressures have been widely reported, but their impact on niche creative industries is less visible.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics( ABS), the Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 % in the 12 months to January 2026. At first glance that may not sound dramatic. But the categories driving inflation are exactly the areas that affect events and hospitality. Housing costs increased 6.8 %, while food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 3.1 % over the same period. Electricity prices— a critical factor for venues and commercial kitchens- jumped a whopping 32.2 %.
For event organisers, these increases compound across dozens of cost categories: venue hire, insurance, staffing, electricity, refrigeration, freight, equipment hire, and food preparation. For attendees, the pressure shows up in a different way. When housing, groceries and utilities rise, discretionary spending is often the first category households reduce. Travel, tickets, workshops and specialty supplies become harder to justify, even for passionate hobbyists.