Always Live 2023

Overview

A festival with Christina Aguilera doing her first Australian show since 2007 is quite the big deal. The same event spanning 165 artists at 60-plus events — all in Victoria — is positively massive. That's Always Live, which returns for 2023 for 17 days from Friday, November 24–Sunday, December 10.

This year's feast of shows also includes Swedish DJ and producer Eric Prydz bringing his HOLO set our way in an Australia–New Zealand exclusive; songwriter and producer Jai Paul also playing his only shows in this neck of the woods; Jessie Ware putting on two intimate evenings outside her Summer Camp headlining stint; and Zach Bryan's first-ever Australian concert.

Already on the Meredith bill, Caroline Polachek has added a solo gig at Melbourne's Forum Theatre. Also a huge highlight: BLAKTIVISM at Hamer Hall, with King Stingray, Tasman Keith, Emma Donovan, Uncle Bart Willoughby, Deline Briscoe, Sorong Samarai and Suga Cane Mamas.

For Swifties, tribute gig Taylor Made will see Alex The Astronaut, Charley, Clare Bowditch, Emily Wurramurra, Kate Miller-Heidke, Lisa Mitchell and Sophia J Smith shaking off their best Taylor Swift covers.

Returning from last year, Emma Donovan and Friends will again hero acoustic tunes from First Nations artists, while purpose-built pop-up studio SOUNDBOX will be back at the Arts Centre Melbourne forecourt.

The jam-packed program also boasts the Tones and I-curated Music In the Park in Mornington, featuring The Cat Empire, The Veronicas, Budjerah, KAIIT and The Pierce Brothers; the Gonna Be Good series, with everyone from Holy Holy, Aleksiah, ILLY and The Temper Trap to Northeast Party House, Casey Barnes and Ruby Fields; Summer Camp, as already announced; and SOULTRAINS, which is getting Lee Fields & The Expressions, plus Surprise Chef, playing four venues along four Metro train lines.

Still on a railway theme, there's End of the Line, a festival popping ip at the end of the train lines in Sandringham and Williamstown. Clare Bowditch headlines the former, and Alex Lahey the latter.

And, music lovers can look forward to the Jamaican Food and Music Festival at Seaworks, the Ballroom Mix Tapes series at Brunswick Ballroom — which will launch brand-new releases — and a regional tour by Amyl and the Sniffers.

Throw in Peter Garrett and The Alter Egos hitting Wangarratta Arts Centre, Cosmic Psychos marking their 40th anniversary and A.B. Original headlining a free show at Victoria Park Lake, and clearly the list well and truly goes on.

Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.