Overview
When Brisbane Winter Sessions was born back in 2021 in the thick of the early pandemic, the River City's live music scene needed the kind of love that only people heading out to see gigs can bring. Three years later, stay-at-home orders and venue restrictions may no longer be a daily reality, but the industry is still struggling in the aftermath of COVID-19's impact. Case in point: the heartbreaking closure of Fortitude Valley institution The Zoo, which shut its doors forever in July.
Brisbane doesn't lack in reasons to catch live tunes every weekend — and every day of the week as well — but there's nothing like a festival to encourage everyone to spend their nights checking out bands. That was Brisbane Winter Sessions' original aim, too, and it remains now that it's back for its latest run across Monday, August 5–Sunday, August 18, 2024.
Zennieshia Butts
Two weeks, 70-plus acts, 15 venues: that's the maths behind this year's event. Brisbane Winter Sessions is headed not only to The Tivoli, The Triffid, The Princess Theatre, The Brightside and Lefty's Music Hall, but also to Black Bear Lodge, Greaser Bar, La La Land, The Junk Bar and The Bearded Lady — and to California Lane, Can You Keep a Secret, It's Still a Secret, The Cave Inn and Kemp Place Park as well.
The lineup includes overseas and local names, with Ride, Fazerdaze, Last Dinosaurs and Mercury Rev leading the bill, plus everyone from Katie Noonan, Tyrone Noonan, Karl S Williams, Bean Magazine and Liminal, Golden Sound, Nikolaine Martin, Jen-E and Kid Kenobi. DJ Katch, Ben Ely's Mungo Fungo Band, tunes courtesy of the Brisbane Underground Jazz Club: the list goes on.
Vincent Shaw
"It's fantastic to see the festival return and showcase our city's music scene. Local talent will perform, along with emerging artists and established international acts, so there's something for everyone" said Tyrone Noonan, announcing this year's program. Not only is he on the bill, but the ARIA-winner is the fest's organiser and producer.
2024's Brisbane Winter Sessions spans free sessions aplenty, both indoors and outdoors. Some not only support live music but raise money for a great cause, such as the Raising the Roof fundraiser for Brisbane Youth Service at Black Bear Lodge. Others have a high-school reunion theme, which The Brightside is playing host to on Ekka holiday eve. The return of Planet of the Breaks is on the lineup as well, taking place at La La Land. Then, wrapping up the event is fest-within-the-fest That Sound Over the Fence at The Triffid.
The Brightside
James Griffin
Brisbane Winter Sessions 2024 Venues:
Black Bear Lodge
California Lane
Can You Keep a Secret
Greaser Bar
It's Still a Secret
La La Land
Lefty's Music Hall
The Bearded Lady
The Brightside Brisbane
The Cave Inn
The Junk Bar
The Princess Theatre
The Tivoli
The Triffid
Kemp Place Park
Brisbane Winter Sessions 2024 Lineup:
Ride
Mercury Rev
Last Dinosaurs
Fazerdaze
Katie Noonan
Karl S Williams
Samara
Ash McCarthy
Clare Cowley
L.I.E — Jolie
Poetic Chaos
DJ El Delpha
DJ Bobby Love
DJ T-Bone
Left Cassette
Max Bader & The Upstairs Neighbours
Harley
Ashtray Avenue
Whitt's End
Katy L Bedford
Sarah Stockholm
Tyrone Noonan Trio
Liminal
Jack Tully & The Seers
Belligerent Goat
OK-36
Palena
News to Me
The Rebel's Grace
Opaque Space
Sabrina Lawie
Nikolaine Martin Duo
Estampa
Bean Magazine
Samm
Square
Rolling Cowgirl
Brooke Schubert Trio
Max Drag Queen
DJ Jesse Boyd
Luna Thicc
Freya Armani
Richie Lestrange
Harry K
James Mcintyre Trio
Golden Sound
Brisbane Underground Jazz Club
Kid Kenobi
Mc Shureshock
Vinyl Slingers (live)
Jen-E
Kenny Beeper
DJ Tyrone
DJ Ravi
DJ Katch
DJ Rousey
Adjoa
Arse
Ben Ely's Mungo Fungo Band
Chimers
Craning
Fenrir
Fleur Fatale
Holding Pattern
Hott Sexx
Joe Hanmer
Keep on Dancin's
Locust Revival
Lunar Dirt
Lurid Orb
Sacred Hearts
Totally Unicorn
Yirinda
Black Bear Lodge
Brisbane Winter Sessions 2024 takes place between Monday, August 5–Sunday, August 18 across venues in inner-city Brisbane. For further details and to grab tickets, head to the festival's website.
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