Get ready for an epic dose of live music at Great Southern Nights, the new live music initiative coming soon to NSW.

It’s been a tough year for many industries. From cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars forced to close their doors to galleries and cinemas switching off their lights during the lockdown, it’s been an incredibly challenging year for almost every sector. But one of the hardest-hit industries has to the music, arts and events. But 2020 isn’t over yet, and the music industry is here to prove there’s still opportunities for good news this year.

To help revive the crippled live music industry, the NSW government has just launched an epic new events program. Set to launch in November 2020, Great Southern Nights will see 1,000 gigs hosted across the state, helping to give musicians, managers, venue operators and production workers opportunities for employment.

This initiative is also overseen by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), with this program leading up to the annual ARIA music awards night. These gigs are set to be hosted in live music venue across Sydney and beyond, with regional NSW bars, pubs and theatres invited to submit their expression of interest to host on the Great Southern Nights’ website.

So far, the line-up of musical talent is impressive, boasting the likes of Cold Chisel’s former frontman Jimmy Barnes, Birds of Tokyo, Thelma Plum, The Presets, Tones and I, Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, The Jungle Giants, Amy Shark, Tash Sultana, The Teskey Brothers, The Veronicas and many more.

Whilst these gigs won’t be business as usual (with all venues to abide by the restrictions set by the state at the time of the events), it’s a promising step in the right direction for live music’s recovery in Australia.

To find out more about the Great Southern Night’s 1,000 gigs initiative and to register your interest to host or perform, click here.