A local music festival (not a folk music festival) has gone from application to perform being open to all, to performers by invitation only. An organizer tells me, "We are following a model that many Festivals around Australia and abroad use for programming."

As a (mostly) non-performer, I have no feeling for how common the invitation model is, as opposed to the open application model, in Australia or elsewhere. How is it done at the festivals with which you are familiar?

My apologies if this topic has already been extensively discussed at Mudcat. Just point me to the relevant thread(s), and I'll go away.

Gerry Myerson