5 May 2023
Deni Ute Muster 2023 - Around the Grounds entertainment announcement
It’s not ALL utes and music at the Deni Ute Muster. This year, the around the ground entertainment on Friday, 29 September and Saturday, 30 September will be in overdrive with something for everyone’s taste.
Returning for 2023 are the hugely popular driving competitions bringing the sights and sounds of supercharged utes competing across the GME Circlework, Just Country Barrel Races and Go to Wo competitions, together with some exciting new attractions for all our attendees.
For our youngest Musterers, we have a range of exciting new attractions starting with Rev It Up Racing Junior Racing Experience where kids, teens and their parents get to race to see who the fastest driver is in their family. Hold onto your hats and rev ‘em up!
If speed isn’t your thing, come and experience a Monster Truck Ride and see what it’s like to be a passenger in the back of ‘Bear Foot’, the monster truck daily in the Sports Arena between 1.00pm and 5.00pm.
The team from Black Snake Productions will also be visiting the Deni Ute Muster with a huge range of animals in their "Mobile Zoo". With wildlife talks, venomous snake safety and first aid talks all throughout the day, they will have a huge range of animals for Musterers to meet, touch and cuddle. Animals coming along include dingoes, possums, bettongs, crocodiles, pythons, lizards, turtles and more while the highly venomous king browns, taipans, tiger snakes, death adders and others will be safely on display in their new 6m long venomous snake pit.
Another new attraction this year is Whitey’s Ferret Racing. Yep, there’ll be racing ferrets at this year’s Muster! Come and join in the fun and bid on a ferret to cheer on during one of the five races daily. There are multiple prizes on offer, with all money raised going towards local charity Can Assist.
Ever wanted to know what it would be like to run away with the circus, or just show off your agility to your friends? The Circus Dropzone will give all ages a chance to throw your hands, feet, hips, and heart into the ring with the help of our highly skilled trainers. Trapeze, juggling, unicycling, hula-hoops and more, the Circus Dropzone will be a playground for everyone.
Also new for 2023, is Ice Skating! Yes! Ice skating. In Deni. We bet that one wasn’t on your 2023 Bingo Card. Come and have a go on our synthetic ice rink and see if you’re made for the ice.
Phew! And there’s so much more!
For anyone looking to create a masterpiece, we’re super excited to be bringing Bottle & Brush Painting Workshops to the 2023 Deni Ute Muster. There will be two sessions across the Muster – Friday we’ll be painting an Australian landscape at daybreak or sunset and Saturday, a vase filled with beautiful native flowers. Classes will run from 10.30am until 1.00pm both days. Potential Van Gogh’s will need to book and pay for their spots in advance by following these booking links - www.trybooking.com/CGUGW and www.trybooking.com/CGUGU.
For all those grey, and not so grey, nomads, come and catch up on all things Aussie camping, caravanning, 4wding, all-round legend Craig ’Macca’ McGown who will be on hand for a yarn on Friday 29 September and to answer any questions you may have.
And for all the littlies – we have some extra special entertainment just for you.
The lovely Amber Lawrence, 6 time Golden Guitar Winner and the current Female Artist of the Year, will be bringing her Kids Gone Country show to the Sunrice Day Stage with a show each day. Amber’s kids’ shows are non-stop fun filled with dancing and singalongs (dare we say) for all ages.
We are also super excited to have the team from the Bendigo LEGO® User Group on hand to help create a masterpiece made from thousands of small LEGO® pieces. The group is made up of over 30 enthusiasts who have a love for sharing their passion all over the countryside. Head on over to the Family Lawn to be involved and add your square to the massive 5m long LEGO® design.
And don’t forget to stop by for a bounce with everyone’s favourite characters on the Paw Patrol themed, 12m long jumping castle!
Also making their Muster return this year are the Berkley Supertank, Australia’s Biggest Bogan Bingo, the Rock Climbing Wall and Muster Sandpit, Peter Hodge Camel Rides, Whipcracking, Wood Chopping, the ARB Bullride Spectacular, the Decentralised Demountables Family Centre and Carnival Corner, the Mini Muster Mobeel Competition and Helicopter Rides. PHEW indeed!
Pictures of our around the ground entertainers can be downloaded from here.
Adding to the excitement this year, the Deni Ute Muster falls on the AFL Grand Final weekend with a public holiday in Victoria on Friday, 29 September. Once again, footy fans will be able to bring their chairs into the Main Arena where the Grand Final will be playing on the big screens with Echuca’s own, Gareth Leach & The Narratives of Hope providing the half time entertainment. Gareth Leach is at the forefront of contemporary country music in Australia, a performer and songwriter who understands and respects the tradition, whist giving it a contemporary edge and we can’t wait to hear them punt the ball out of the park.
Also returning this year is our CAT Tradie Challenge where we’ll see four teams battling it out to build sandpits with shade covers. The winning team will be crowned ‘2023 Muster Tradies of the Year’ and will walk away with a trophy and $2,000 cash. The team who comes in 2nd scores $1,000 with 3rd and 4th placed teams both receiving $500. The completed sandpits will be auctioned on site with all money raised donated to charity.
Entries are currently open for our Driving Competitions, Show ‘n Shine and the CAT Tradie Challenge with details available from here.
Each year the Deni Ute Muster picks a local charity partner and this year it is the Navorina Nursing Home, a Deni institution that provides quality care for our aging cowgirls and cowboys. Our attendees will have the opportunity to help us help them AND win $10,000 while they’re at it.
For $50, Musterers will be able to buy a numbered squeezy tire which will then be flung out of the back of the famous circle work king, The Admiral. The winner will be the squeezy tyre nearest to the pin in the Circle Work Arena scoring the winner a big wad of money!
Tickets to the 2023 Deni Ute Muster are on sale NOW!
The Aussie legends gracing the main stages this year are (in alphabetical order): Adam Harvey & Beccy Cole, Andrew Swift, Casey Barnes, Catherine Britt, James Johnston, Jayne Denham, Jessica Mauboy, John Williamson, Lee Kernaghan, Missy Higgins (her first Muster appearance), The Whitlams Black Stump Band, Travis Collins and Zara Lindeman.
Sharing the Sunrice Day Stage over the weekend will be a mix of country music’s brightest newcomers and local heroes including Amber Lawrence’s “Kids Gone Country Show”, Anagram Riot, 2022 Gympie Music Muster Talent Search winner Brittany Elise, Brittany Maggs, Carp Factory, Duncan Toombs, Gretta Ziller, Jade Gibson, Jamie Preston, 2023 Toyota Star Maker winner Loren Ryan, Pete Denahy, Rhys Crimmin and The Bush Poets.
Bios and pictures of our artists can be found/downloaded from here.
Deni Ute Muster General Manager, Vicky Lowry, added “I’m not sure that 2 days will be enough time to see all that we have on offer for this year’s Deni Ute Muster.
“The Deni Ute Muster team work hard putting together the Around The Ground entertainment program each year. Catering for all ages, making tickets true value for money with a program that no other festival in Australia offers.
“We look forward to welcoming new and returning attendees through our iconic Deni Ute Muster gates to celebrate with us another big year of entertainment, competitions, breaking records and a lot of fun.”
The Deni Ute Muster is one of the top ‘bucket list’ events in Australia and annually attracts close to 20,000 people of all ages to celebrate all things Australian and, of course, the iconic ‘ute’. The Deni Ute Muster has amazing community support with more than 1,000 volunteers mobilising each year to help put on the event which donates close to $100,000 back to community groups.
The first Deni Play on the Plains Festival, as it was known at the time, took place in October 1999, on the flattest, natural, open plains on earth, and with “ute culture” being an intrinsic part of Deniliquin, it was unanimous that it would play a major part of the festival and hence the Deni Ute Muster burst into the national psyche.
In its first year, the Deni Ute Muster had approximately 5,000 patrons and set a new Guinness World Record for the most number of legally paraded utes at 2,839 – a record which still stands today. Since 1999 the Deni Ute Muster has become the region’s biggest tourist drawcard and a celebration of all things Australian.
The Deni Ute Muster is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
All Early Bird and Muster Adorer tickets are SOLD OUT. General Admission tickets and Reserved Camping are available at deniutemuster.com.au/.
Deni Ute Muster
Conargo Road, Deniliquin, NSW
Friday, 29 September and Saturday, 30 September 2023
MAIN STAGES
ADAM HARVEY & BECCY COLE
ANDREW SWIFT CASEY BARNES CATHERINE BRITT
JAMES JOHNSTON JAYNE DENHAM JESSICA MAUBOY
JOHN WILLIAMSON LEE KERNAGHAN MISSY HIGGINS
THE WHITLAMS BLACK STUMP BAND TRAVIS COLLINS
ZARA LINDEMAN
DAY STAGE
Amber Lawrence’s “Kids Gone Country Show” | Anagram Riot
2022 Gympie Music Muster Talent Search winner Brittany Elise
Brittany Maggs | Carp Factory | Duncan Toombs | Gretta Ziller
Jade Gibson | Jamie Preston | 2023 Toyota Star Maker winner Loren Ryan Pete Denahy | Rhys Crimmin | The Bush Poets
#DeniUteMuster
For further information, please contact:
Rina Ferris | Ferris Davies PRM
Ph: 0418 674 082
Email: rina@ferrisdaviesprm.com.au
Jules Delemare | Wildheart Publicity
Ph: 0407 861 319
Email: jules@wildheartpublicity.com