Around Australia, music festival season is once again kicking into high gear. Yet behind every headline act is a vast and often invisible workforce of stage crew, sound engineers, lighting techs, riggers, truck drivers, backup singers, dancers and other support staff. Many of these workers endure precarious conditions – dealing with inconsistent contracts, long hours and excessive travel. These issues aren’t confined to Australia’s arts scene, it’s a similar story around much of the world. It’s a multifaceted problem, with no easy solutions. But an emerging influence – led by global artists such as Taylor Swift – could help move things in the right direction.