15 Sep 2023

Introducing star-studded Aussie line-up for return of Great Southern Nights 2024

Friday, 15 September 2023 - Music to the ears of live gig lovers, Great Southern Nights is back from 8 to 24 March 2024 supercharging the line-up of vibrant cultural events in NSW and reigniting the state’s live music scene, including a special preview event in Sydney this November featuring Alex The Astronaut, Dami Im, Jet, Thelma Plum, The Temper Trap and more.

The much-loved event will deliver more than 300 live gigs in March 2024 at venues across Sydney’s inner city and Western Sydney, as well as shows in Wollongong, Newcastle and the Northern Rivers.

Great Southern Nights’ performing artist Alex the Astronaut said: "There’s nothing quite like putting on a live gig in front of fans and music-lovers, I can’t wait to put on a show for the return of Great Southern Nights. It means a lot that the government is continuing to add bricks and support to a music industry that is still rebuilding itself.”

With the initial line-up to be announced in December, Great Southern Nights 2024 is set to showcase established household names to emerging talents and grassroots acts, spotlighting a diverse array of artists across 17 nights – the perfect excuse for an unforgettable weekend away in Greater Sydney and NSW.

And in a special sneak peek preview of Great Southern Nights 2024, 10 nights of incredible live performances will light up stages from November 16 2023, across Enmore, Marrickville, Newtown, Parramatta and Penrith.

Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, and Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said: “Bringing back Great Southern Nights aligns with the policy direction the NSW Government is taking – we're shifting the focus from destination travel to experience tourism with an emphasis on creating a cultural identity for the state.

“We know that the music industry requires greater support to revive live music venues across the state and support artists and workers in the industry, which is why our Government is committed to bring back Great Southern Nights over the next four years.

“We have enormous potential here in NSW to create an immersive, unique visitor experience that combines the nation’s best natural encounters, great cuisine and local hospitality with a world-class cultural experience.

“This is more than a series of live gigs – it's a display of how the collective passion for live music can deliver rich cultural moments that resonate with locals and visitors alike to create unforgettable experiences.”

Making its stamp on the state’s cultural events calendar, Great Southern Nights will share the limelight with other world-class events such as South by Southwest Sydney, which will make its Sydney debut next month, as well as Vivid Sydney, the Sydney International Art Series, Sydney Festival and Sydney Biennale.

The artist line-up and ticket-sales to the 2024 Great Southern Nights event, across Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle and the Northern Rivers, will be announced this December.

The 2023 Great Southern Nights preview will take place from 16 to 25 November 2023. Tickets will go on-sale at 9am on 19 September 2023 via www.greatsouthernnights.com.au.  Artists confirmed for the November program include Alex The Astronaut, Beccy Cole, Dami Im, Isabella Manfredi, Jet, Tasman Keith and 3% plus Guests, The Temper Trap, Thelma Plum and Thy Art is Murder.

CEO of ARIA Annabelle Herd said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to bring Great Southern Nights back for another year and provide artists with an increasingly important platform to connect with new fans and long-term lovers of live music.

“Globally, and particularly in the UK, markets are seeing a resurgence in the role of small to medium venues for breaking up-and-coming talent. Creating more of those same opportunities for our own recording artists to cut through and build new fanbases is critical at a time where content is increasingly saturated.

“Enormous thanks to the NSW Government for valuing the significant economic and cultural contribution of Australian music and understanding the importance of keeping our creative industries thriving in cities and regional communities.”

Great Southern Nights is a NSW Government initiative delivered via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW in partnership with the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

 

To find out more about Great Southern Nights, visit: http://www.greatsouthernnights.com.au

For further information about Sydney and NSW, visit: www.sydney.com or www.visitsnsw.com. For social media, please tag @sydney and @visitnsw, and use the hashtags #feelnewsydney and #feelNSW.

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For media requests, please contact:

Janelle Morse, Publicist, Great Southern Nights | jmorse@aria.com.au | 0450 221 647

Carly Maloney, Marketing & Communications Manager, Great Southern Nights | cmaloney@aria.com.au | 0422 172 008