Overview
Think of live music and you invariably think of one of our rich and diverse capital cities — but there's plenty going on beyond the big metropolises. From renowned multi-day festivals to the regional town that turns itself over to celebrate an enduring cultural icon once a year, there's something to tempt every music lover away from the city this autumn.
Ready to reconnect with your love of music, dance under the stars in the outback and experience those heart-swelling, foot-stomping, feel-good moments that live tunes provide so well? We've teamed up with Destination NSW to pick a half-dozen events that'll satisfy your cravings for a live gig and a road trip in one go.
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There’s such a wealth of talent on display at this year’s Great Southern Nights, we can hardly do it justice here (head over here for the full rundown). Hundreds of Great Southern Nights gigs will take place right across NSW, from Byron Bay to Albury and Sydney to Broken Hill. Check out rising hip hop star JK-47 or folk darling Julia Stone in Albury, legendary First Nations songwriter Archie Roach in Wagga Wagga, or Aussie country royalty Fanny Lumsden in Tumut. Whatever your musical taste, there’s a gig for you somewhere in NSW.
Image: Boogie Woogie Beach House, Destination NSW
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As you can probably guess from the name, this Lake Jindabyne Easter weekend festival is dedicated to the kinds of rock behemoths — think U2, Queen, Oasis and more. The stars of the show will no doubt be the Australian Rock Collective playing the hits of The Beatles. This isn’t your normal tribute band — members of iconic Aussie bands Powderfinger, Jet, You Am I and Spiderbait have joined forces to bring the songs of The Fab Four to life. A tribute band with 33 ARIAs between them? That’s 33 more than The Beatles themselves ever managed.
Image: Destination NSW
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Broken Hill is arguably New South Wales’ ultimate long-distance road-trip, and it’s a must-visit during the cooler months. If you did need an extra push, however, the inaugural Mundi Mundi Bash gives you the opportunity to camp for three days in the remote outback while enjoying performances from some of Australia’s brightest and best. Paul Kelly is headlining this year’s event, and he’s joined on the bill by the likes of Kate Ceberano, country songwriter Caitlyn Shadbolt and, perhaps the world’s most famous cover band, Bjorn Again — odds are, they’ll bring the house down.
If you’ve ever wanted to spend a weekend partying away in the red dirt, here’s your perfect excuse. Calendar starting to look a little full? Never fear, Mundi Mundi Bash is happening again in August.
Image: Destination NSW
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The recent opening of the Elvis Presley exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery shows that interest in The King is as fervent as ever, meaning it’s an ideal time to put on your blue suede shoes and head to the 29th Parkes Elvis Festival.
This year, the theme is Elvis’s 1968 film Speedway (which also starred Nancy Sinatra), and there’s far more than just music on offer at the multi-day event. The entire town of Parkes will go into Elvis overdrive with vintage markets, live music, exhibitions, film screenings, trivia competitions, and performances by reigning Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Champion, Taylor Rodriguez from the USA.
Image: Destination NSW
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Byron Bay Bluesfest returns for the first time since 2019 over the Easter long weekend with more than 170 performances. With international borders reopening, festival organisers have secured a stellar lineup of musicians from home and abroad. There are local draws like Midnight Oil, Crowded House, The Teskey Brothers, Amy Shark, Briggs and Hiatus Kaiyote, as well as the final performance of The Cat Empire with the original lineup.
Plus, get excited for international stars such as George Benson, Morcheeba, The Wailers and Amadou & Mariam. The numbers tell their own story — five days, 170-plus performances, and over 70 food and market stalls mean that Bluesfest has more than enough to keep you entertained and make sure your trip north was well worth the drive.
Image: Andy Fraser
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The most important event in the Australian country music calendar is back this April. Over 100 venues will be hosting performances from some of the genre’s biggest names, such as Amber Lawrence, Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley, for the Tamworth Country Music Festival. It’s a great all-ages event, too, with things to see and do throughout the whole town, including including rides at Family Zone and shows at Toyota Park, both of which are free to enter.
The festival is also the home of the Golden Guitar Awards, the biggest prize in Australian country music, which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary of handing out the eponymous awards statuettes to the best artists of the previous 12 months.
Image: Tourism Australia