ABSTRACT
Music festivals, as they are conventionally known, emerged in developed countries in Europe and North America after the Second World War. Although music festivals were not as numerous as agricultural shows, community festivals or sporting carnivals they were common than other popular festivals such as arts and food and wine festivals. The Mildura Jazz, Food and Wine Festival has existed for thirty years, combining four days of jazz in clubs, bars and cafes, and also in restaurants, churches, streets, with the main events using Murray River settings and all the events showcasing regional food and wine. The Murray River International Music Festival, in Mildura, focuses on 'regional food and wine along with outstanding international musicians in beautiful Murray River locations'. Countless music festivals have been started as quasi-promotional investments for regional tourism campaigns. In Australia Tamworth was a somewhat anonymous regional centre in the wool, sheep and transport industries, until it created a major country music festival.
