The Premier said there was room to invest in both sport and arts festivals in South Australia, in a speech this morning to festival and arts organisation leaders during which he spruiked the work he’s done to support the industry.

Malinauskas said at the Festival City ADL South Australian Festival and Event Policy Forum that he’d seen “threads of debate recently about ‘the government is more focused on sports than the arts’”, calling such claims “outrageous”.

He said at the heart of the government’s approach was a spirit of “inclusivity”, noting that “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”.

“It’s true that people who attend the Adelaide 500 are less likely to be seen at the opera, and it’s true that people who attend high arts and the opera are less likely to be losing their voice [at the Adelaide Oval] screaming for a footy team,” he said.

“But that is the whole idea. That is what we should be celebrating. We should be aspiring to invest in each and every one of these things so no matter what your interests, no matter what your taste, you find a home here in South Australia.”

The Premier listed recent investments made by his government, including putting money towards upgrading the Festival Centre, “more money on the Fringe than we ever have before”, the See It Live grants program, and continuing to back the wintertime festival Illuminate which was established by the former Marshall Government.

“The arts is very much part of who we are,” he said.

“But on top of that, yes we decided to bring the Adelaide 500 back because I think people in the outer suburbs of Adelaide who care about motorsport far more than I do deserve to have their time in the sun in our city.

“Those people who would seek to submit to you and argue that we’re going to choose one or the other actively are opposing the idea of inclusivity. I reject that. I reject that.”

His comments come amid a swathe of live music venue and nightclub closures in South Australia, as well as the cancellation of music festivals in the state and nationally. Those venues still trading have vocalised how they are struggling to stay afloat due to rising costs.

His speech also arrives during a debate over heritage laws and the state government’s dedication to live music with iconic venue the Crown & Anchor under threat of being demolished and turned into a 19-storey student accommodation building.

Speaking just before the Premier, Festival City ADL CEO Justyna Jochym said there were “headwinds to the long-term success of the [festival] industry”.

“The state of the Festival State requires our attention as a focal point of our cultural, economic prosperity and inclusive creative economy,” she said.

“It does not matter what sector, whether you’re a not-for-profit or commercial… the cost and complexity of doing business is increasing.

“The local short-to-medium sector is getting hit hardest by a combination of budget repairs and short-term thinking.”

Jochym said the industry was at a “crossroads”, and “without systematic coordination across portfolios and strategy the opportunity cost is only going to increase”.

“Will the industry have the local workforce and supply chain to continue to serve our ambitions as the Festival State?” she said.