Two independent arts publishers have struck a rare scale play in Australian cultural media, with The List and InReview joining forces to create what they say will be the largest independent review platform covering Adelaide’s festival season – combining audiences of more than 60,000 monthly readers with a multi-platform footprint across web, email, social and live events.
Under the new partnership, reviews from UK-based publisher The List will, for the first time, be hosted on InReview’s dedicated arts strand within InDaily, owned by Solstice Media, giving advertisers and festival producers access to a single, high-engagement environment spanning Adelaide’s packed Mad March calendar and beyond.
The editorial collaboration will see the combined teams publish more than 200 reviews across the summer festival season, dramatically increasing the volume, frequency and commercial value of independent arts coverage at a time when specialist journalism has been steadily shrinking.
A reach play, not just a content play
For The List, which has spent the past three years expanding into Adelaide with its seasonal festival guides and live events, the move provides daily digital distribution into South Australia’s most established independent news platform.
For InReview, which already reaches more than 60,000 readers a month through InDaily, the partnership adds international publishing muscle and a deeper bench of festival specialists.
Both sides are pitching the deal as a way to create a more sustainable ecosystem for arts journalism – but it also delivers something the festival and advertiser market has long lacked: a scaled, independent, brand-safe environment with consistent coverage across hundreds of shows.
Jo Laidlaw, editor of The List Adelaide Festival Guide, said the partnership would materially increase the impact of festival coverage.
“This ground-breaking partnership means The List and InReview can support more shows by reaching more people with more reviews over the festival season. We’re thrilled to be working with the phenomenal team at InReview, who do so much to keep South Australia’s wonderful culture alive year-round.”
Jo Laidlaw, editor of The List Adelaide Festival Guide
A new commercial layer for arts media
InDaily, owned by Solstice Media, has built a reputation for high-quality local journalism with strong advertiser trust, while InReview has become one of the country’s few dedicated professional arts review platforms – a combination that gives the partnership unusual weight in a market where most reviewing has either disappeared or been pushed behind paywalls.
Walter Marsh, editor of InReview
Walter Marsh, editor of InReview, said the collaboration would extend both reach and influence.
“From Adelaide to Edinburgh, festival season is all about connecting artists with audiences, and this new partnership between InReview and the seasoned festival-heads at The List will help our independent reviews and arts journalism reach even more readers and arts lovers. You can find us online, in your inbox, and in the crowd from opening night to the final curtain.”