ABSTRACT
Ambience is crucial to enjoyment, and ambience extends beyond the musical performance, especially when it takes in vineyards, paddocks and open spaces. For good geographical reasons most Australian music festivals have an almost exclusively national audience. The majority of visitors to music festivals are there to socialise and have fun, as much as for the musical genre, but all festivals have a certain percentage of dedicated fans and regular, repeat visitors - the fans and fanatics. Large numbers of visitors to the Parkes Elvis Festival had only limited knowledge of, or much interest in, his music, though it often provoked nostalgia, but enjoyed the festival and intended to return. In large part the ability of any kind of festival to contribute to regional development depends on how many people attend, who they are and what they do there - and what they spend while they are there.
