A Day On The Green Injects Annual Boost To Local Community As 400th Show Nears

It's been more than 15 years since the inaugural a day on the green event in Victoria, and over the course of 399 shows to date its many iterations have grown a reputation for being one of the most delightful musical destinations the country has to offer.

On the eve of its 400th show — hitting Bimbadgen, Hunter Valley, in November, the same weekend as the Barossa Valley's event — several of its high-profile alumni have offered their endorsement of the festival while, importantly, the event serves to bolster its regional locations with annual boosts to the community, bringing in massive tourism dollars to otherwise less-visited areas such as Mudgee, Armidale, Geelong, Launceston and the Clare Valley.

Among those championing the event is multi-ADOTG performer Jimmy Barnes, who has "always had an absolute blast".

"It’s a fantastic way to enjoy music, sitting back with your friends in a great location," Barnes said. "A day on the green’s support of Australian music should be commended because the line-ups are always first-class.  These guys know how to do it properly. There’s always a good feeling across the whole day, which makes it a pleasure to play."

Veteran Aussie muso Ross Wilson tipped his hat to the "music, fresh air, wine, food and thousands of lovers of Australian music all having a good time … just how I like it", while You Am I's Tim Rogers was generous with his praise:

"It surely is the most comfortable of venues to play in, but I love the team that put these shows on, and wanna be the reprobate who crashes the party and gets folks moving," he said. "It doesn't always work, but ADOTG have given us chances and challenges, and I’ll bust my pant leg and lungs trying to do it for them." 

Additionally, legendary singer-songwriter Paul Kelly offered a fairly simple rhetoric thumbs-up — "What's not to love?" — while The Pretenders' icon Chrissie Hynde described her appearances there as "some of our favourite shows of all time".

It's not just the big-name stars who feel the beauty, though; Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association general manager Jo Harman also commended the event on being "a pioneer of the Concert Vineyard experience", acknowledging its reputation for "delivering a first-class day of entertainment".

"The concerts have had an incredibly positive impact on the Hunter Valley with both overnight stays and daytripper visitation benefiting accommodation providers, cellar doors and other businesses," Harman said in a statement.  Most importantly, it has assisted in positioning the region as an exciting food & wine destination and raising our profile in key markets."

A day on the green's organisers have presented multiple events every summer season between October and April for several years now (including staging 102 shows in NSW, 99 in Vic, 32 in Qld, 39 in SA, 73 in WA, 12 in Tas, 3 in the ACT and 33 in New Zealand), bringing in close to 3 million punters to the shindig's varied grounds.

With so much achievement behind them, and a stacked 2016/17 season ahead that includes an incredible array of artists — the first batch includes You Am I, Something For Kate, Spiderbait, Jebediah and Meanies (from 5 November) — it's safe to say they'll be around for a while yet; that's certainly the aim, according to promoters Michael and Anthea Newton.

"We have some of the best people in their respective fields working with us and so it’s been a huge team effort," Michael said. "The truth is that after 16 years we still feel as passionate about our event as when we first started. 

"The idea of getting together with some friends to enjoy good food and wine with great music in a picturesque location is as appealing now as ever.  We continue to want a day on the green to be a great, fun experience for everyone — the bands, the crews, the audience.  And that’s what we do, weekend after weekend every summer. We still love it."

For a full list of a day on the green's upcoming shows, or to suss booking options, see the event's website.