Lady Gaga has been refused a permit to perform in a giant vending machine.

The "Do What You Want" hitmaker was hoping to entertain fans at the annual South by Southwest festival (SXSW) held in Austin, Texas between March 7 - 16 on the Doritos Stage, which has been designed to look like a huge snack machine, but due to concerns over health and safety she's had to reconsider.

"Our conclusion was based primarily on public safety concerns ... We look at the size and capacity of the location covered by the permit being sought and how it fits with the anticipated attendance, based on event capacity and promotion. At the end of the day, it's a parking lot," said Don Pitts of Austin's Music And Entertainment division.

Gaga - real name Stefani Germanotta - is still set to play at the nine-day festival but has been urged to find a location with "the necessary permanent infrastructure" to support her performance.