The festival's director Peter Noble warned earlier this week that if the guidelines for festivals go ahead, Bluesfest would have no choice but to move interstate. Premier Gladys Berejiklian insists Bluesfest is not the target of the new interim guidelines, created in response to a series of drug-related deaths at music festivals. Premier Gladys Berejiklian insists Bluesfest is not the target of the new interim guidelines. Credit:Anna Kucera Late on Wednesday, the state government released a statement to festival organisers admitting there was confusion with the new guidelines. "We will continue to consult with industry and are available to meet one-on-one with music festival organisers for detailed discussions, to ensure we get the balance right between great entertainment and festival safety," the statement read.

Loading Labor will on Friday announce its music policy, which will include $35 million over four years to establish a plan for contemporary music. NSW is the only mainland state without one. The opposition spokesman for music and the night time economy, John Graham, said Labor does not "accept the government’s war on music". "Labor is committing record funding to keep venues open and musicians in work," Mr Graham said. As part of its plan, Labor will establish a new Music Industry Office to grow the state's music industry as well as new programs to help artists record and tour.

The open letter, backed by a coalition of Australia's biggest festivals, as well as Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and ticketing stalwart Moshtix, says "knee-jerk" regulations are crippling the industry and forcing events to move interstate. "Overbearing regulation, exorbitant police bills, a lack of respect for NSW businesses, and very little recognition of the significant positive impacts of music on our communities is forcing music out of NSW," the letter says. Singer Daryl Braithwaite told the Herald that NSW, which he said prided itself on "having the best of many things", was at risk of becoming a "nanny state". Daryl Braithwaite said NSW was at risk of becoming a "nanny state". Credit:Shotz By Jackson "NSW wouldn’t like to be the only state in Australia that doesn’t have festivals," he said.

Loading "To shut them down … or make it so tight they won’t be able to run them, which will be crippling for the people of NSW." Michael Chugg, of Chugg Entertainment, said the state would be robbing itself of up $100 million a year. A 'Don't Kill Live Music' rally is set to be held in Hyde Park from 6pm on February 21. Meanwhile, the NSW Police Commissioner is challenging a judge's declaration that a music festival which police refused to support was in fact "safe".