FISHER and Dom Dolla reportedly paid £1.2 million to play at Saudi-backed golf tournament

FISHER and Dom Dolla were reportedly paid $2.5 million AUD (or £1.2 million) to play at a Saudi-backed golf tournament in Australia this weekend, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Taking place across February 14-16 at the Grande Golf Club, Adelaide, the LIV golf tournament featured a men's golf tournament alongside an accompanying music festival.

Dolla headlined the first day of the event on Friday as his only "South Australia" show of 2025, while FISHER - who also headlined the event in 2024 - performed on the last day of the event on Sunday.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the two Australian-born DJs were paid a combined $2.5 million AUD for their appearances at the event — with the fees divulged by two music industry sources, who kept their identities anonymous "because of the confidential nature of the contracts."

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LIV golf - which operates separately from the PGA tour and holds tournaments worldwide in locations such as the UK, Hong Kong, Miami, Riyadh and more - is funded by Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

The PIF is one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds, and holds investments in a wide array of industries both within Saudi Arabia and across the world.

However, investments in a number of high profile sporting and entertainment institutions - such as its acquisition of Newcastle United Football Club and, until recently, a large stake in Live Nation - has brought with it allegations of "culture washing" in order to rehabilitate Saudi Arabia's reputation on the world stage and distract from its poor human rights record.

Examples of this include its investment in Riyadh-based electronic festival MDLBEAST, which human rights organisations claim is an attempt to portray Saudi Arabia in a progressive light — DJs, such as Jeff Mills, Calvin Harris and Carl Cox have faced criticism over their participation in the festival.

While this influence is also reportedly used directly to censor negative opinion, with Human Rights Watch alleging that PGA officials who work within LIV golf are subject to a "non-disparagement clause" in their contracts, which bars any criticism of Saudi Arabia's human rights record.

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According to Human Rights Watch's latest report, Saudi Arabian authorities continue to harshly repress dissent within the country, "including by handing down long sentences or the death penalty after unfair trials on charges related to peaceful online expression," while migrant workers face exploitation and abuse under the kafala system system.

The organisation also claims that projects funded by the PIF have "forcibly evicted residents, razed neighborhoods, subjected workers to serious abuses, and silenced communities."

Women continue to have limited rights within Saudi Arabia, despite purported reforms under Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 scheme, with many restricted from moving freely without the permission of a male guardian.

Same-sex relationships are illegal under Saudi law, and discussions around gender and sexuality in the country can result in harsh fines and prison time.

Mixmag has contacted representatives for Dom Dolla and FISHER for this story.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter