Regions & Additional Artists Revealed For Statewide NSW Gig Series Feat. Jimmy Barnes, AB Original & More

Live music is well and truly returning to New South Wales with the Great Southern Nights event series to take place this November, today unveiling the selected regions and additional artists. 

The month-long event will see 50 of the country's most-loved and renowned artists perform shows across the state, with the likes of Jimmy Barnes, Tones & I, AB Original, Kasey Chambers, Troy Cassar-Daley, Tash Sultana, Missy Higgins, Amy Shark, Bag Raiders, The Presets, Thelma Plum, Polish Club, Ocean Alley, The Teskey Brothers and more set to perform across the 1000 show event. 

The event is a NSW State Government initiation, produced in partnership with ARIA, and forms part of the NSW Government's COVID-19 Recovery Plan. 

“We are excited to get this COVIDSafe show on the road in consultation with NSW Health,” said Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres.

“The calibre of artists who have put their hand up to be part of the inaugural Great Southern Nights event is fantastic, and we’re stoked that many artists have asked to play in regional NSW."

“To have acts like The Rubens, Jack River and Tex Perkins among the lineup demonstrates how Great Southern Nights will showcase the diversity of Australia’s music scene against the backdrop of our great state.

“We’re on track for big-name Australian artists to play in the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Country NSW, the Hunter, North Coast, Outback NSW, the South Coast and Sydney, and the program is developing every day.

“Plus, we have around 900 gigs with established and emerging artists being programmed by Sydney and NSW venues in collaboration with ARIA. Great Southern Nights will make a real difference for communities recovering from drought, bushfires and COVID-19.”

READ MORE: Hey, NSW Venues! Wanna Host Gigs For Jimmy Barnes, Tash Sultana, Paul Kelly & More?

“The feedback we’re getting from industry is that Great Southern Nights is exactly what they need after months away from live performance," added ARIA CEO Dan Rosen. 

“We’re proud to play an integral part in this project to get artists, the industry and NSW live music venues back on their feet. The generosity and enthusiasm of everyone involved is testament to the importance of music to us all.”

“I’m pleased to be one of 1000 Aussie artists who’ll be doing a gig right across NSW this November as part of Great Southern Nights," said Barnes. 

“I know fans are hungry for live music while lots of musos and roadies are just plain hungry. All these shows will be a great way to kick start the live music sector – it’s great that the Government is putting (their) own money behind it making that happen right across our state during Australian music month.”

“Honestly we’ve all been waiting patiently for the last few months to even say the words ‘I’m playing a show again’," said Sultana. “This feels like Christmas Day to musicians in 2020, stoked we can see a little closer into the future of our careers again as a live stream just didn’t quite ever cut it for me.”

Check out the full line-up below and head here for all the info.

Great Southern Nights Line-up

AB Original
Alex the Astronaut
Amy Shark
Bag Raiders
Birds of Tokyo
Boo Seeka
Casey Barnes
CXLOE
Fanny Lumsden
George Alice
George Maple
Gordi
Graace
Hayley Mary
Hot Dub Time Machine
Ian Moss
In Hearts Wake
Jack River
Jaguar Jonze
Josh Pyke
Jimmy Barnes
Julia Stone
Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley
Kian
KLP
Middle Kids
Missy Higgins
Ngaiire
Ocean Alley
Pete Murray
Polish Club
Richard Clapton
Ruby Fields
Set Mo
Sneaky Sound System
Sons of the East
Tash Sultana
Tex Perkins
Thandi Phoenix
The Angels
The Jungle Giants
The Presets
The Rubens
The Teskey Brothers
The Veronicas
The Wolfe Brothers
Thelma Plum
Thirsty Merc
Tones & I
Tori Forsyth
Urthboy
WAAX
Winston Surfshirt