Big Red Bash Punters Smash Another 'Nutbush' World Record

After 4,084 boot-scooting dancers smashed the world record for the Largest Nutbush City Limits dance last year, punters at the Big Red Bash this year made a (Simply) The Best tribute for the Queen of Rock and Roll, Tina Turner, with 5,838 dancers showing off their best moves.

Marking the 50^th anniversary of the 1973 soul classic, the spectacular dance-off took place below the Simpson Desert’s legendary 40-metre-high Big Red dune – the largest of its kind in the world.

Last year’s festival raised over $60,000 for the festival's charity partner, The Royal Flying Doctor Service, but like the increased amount of boot scooters this year, the 2023 Big Red Bash raised a whopping $87,570.

Greg Donovan, Festival owner and Managing Director of the Outback Music Festival Group said, “Simply the best tribute to the legendary Tina Turner! We are thrilled to have witnessed 5,838 enthusiastic revellers come together to set a world record for the largest Nutbush City Limits Dance. The energy and spirit displayed by the participants were truly remarkable.”

Donovan added, “It's heartwarming to see the Nutbush dance become an iconic tradition at the Birdsville Big Red Bash, raising much-needed funds for the Royal Flying Doctors. Tina Turner's legacy lives on through the joyous celebration and the incredible support it provides to a worthy cause.”

The Operations Manager for the Outback Music Festival Group, which manages the Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash, Steve Donovan, said, “I’m sure she would have been proud that the Nutbush raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Royal Flying Doctors, and that this legacy will live on.”

Tina Turner passed away in May 2023. The American-born rock and roll singer shaped not only the music world with her era-defining hits but soundtracked the childhoods of generations.

This year’s Big Red Bash occurred from 4 to 6 June and boasted a line-up featuring Icehouse, John Williamson, Hoodoo Gurus, Dragon, Pete Murray, The Angels, Kate Ceberano, The Waifs and many more.