BIGSOUND Is Back! 2020 Event To Go Ahead With Revised Schedule

BIGSOUND has been confirmed to go ahead in 2020, with a revised program set to take place in October this year instead of September.

The industry will come together in Fortitude Valley from October 21 – 22 for a condensed program of panels, workshops, live music showcases, parties and more, all of which will adhere to social distancing and safety protocols around COVID.

“BIGSOUND has been the leader of conversation and discovery in the Australian music industry for over 18 years and this year we will be forging ahead with a recovery-focused festival,” QMusic CEO Angela Samut said.

“With the culture of our industry under threat from COVID-19, our industrial culture under scrutiny as we face head-on the structural inequities for women, LGBTQI+ and First Nations people, and our culture as a nation under the spotlight as global trends put even more pressure on local artists and local stories, never has it been more essential for BIGSOUND to proceed and succeed.”

This October’s event will mark the first major meeting of industry since COVID sent the country into lockdown back in March, and will see 10 live music venues utilised across its live showcase program.

With artist live showcase applications open today, organisers have also revealed that there will be no application fees this year, due to the reduced size of the event.

As such, Melbourne artists are also being encouraged to apply, with contingencies expected to be in place so Victorians can participate remotely if they are unable to travel to Queensland in October.

After curating BIGSOUND’s First Nations programs in 2018 and 2019, Alethea Beetson steps into the role of conference co-programmer, while Janne Scott takes on the role of Creative Director and programmer as Dominic Miller and Ruby-Jean McCabe sign on as festival programmers.

Meanwhile, BIGSOUND bids farewell to its longest-serving programmer, Maggie Collins, along with conference programmer Tom Larkin, BIGTECH programmer David Grice, and festival programmers Tim Shiel and Melody Forghani.

Pre-sale registration for delegate pass sales opens on July 29 at 9am, while early-bird delegate pass sales open on August 3 at 9am.

For more details and artist applications, head to the BIGSOUND website.