.

.

.

.

The final encore has been played for Great Southern Nights 2024, with more than 90,000 music-lovers rocking to more than 300 gigs in various Sydney and NSW locations, signalling a resurgence of the state’s live music culture.   

Delivered by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, in partnership with the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), Great Southern Nights 2024 provided audiences with a diverse range of Australian live music over three weekends. 

G Flip, The Teskey Brothers, Jessica Mauboy, King Stingray, Hoodoo Gurus, The Presets, Pacific Avenue and Ball Park Music were among 630 artists who took to NSW stages across seven key entertainment precincts in Innerand Western Sydney, Wollongong, Wagga Wagga, Newcastle, the Northern Rivers and Tamworth.

.

Photography by Gabrielle Clement, Georgia Griffiths, Jess Bowen, Ruby Bowland and Tom Wilkinson

.

Aligning with the NSW Government’s vibrancy reforms, this year Great Southern Nights took music to the streets, delivering a richer cultural experience that revitalised the live music scene by cultivating lively entertainment zones in Sydney, Newcastle and other key entertainment precincts. 

The event’s final weekend wrapped up with a free two-day street party outside the King Street Hotel in Newcastle, headlined by fan favourites, Trophy Eyes and Sneaky Sound System. While Sydney’s Hollywood Quarter in Surry Hills provided an entertainment and culinary journey as music lovers walked from venue to venue along the Great Southern Nights Gig Trail, an initiative supported by the Office of the 24-Hour Economy’s Uptown program. 

Great Southern Nights also provided a boon to surrounding accommodation providers, restaurants and cafes across all seven locations, as local businesses capitalised on increased foot traffic and overnight visitation, providing a significant boost to the state’s creative, night-time and visitor economies.  

The NSW Government has committed to delivering Great Southern Nights over the next two years with dates for the 2025 event to be announced later this year. 

.

Photography by Gabrielle Clement and Ruby Bowland

.

Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, and Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said: “Our Government has made a clear commitment to bringing a lively music scene back across NSW, and that’s exactly what Great Southern Nights 2024 has achieved – it delivered a vibrant, safe event that saw visitors embracing Sydney and NSW’s nightlife and culture, encouraging community engagement and economic activity.

“Through programs like Great Southern Nights we are invigorating precincts to deliver world-class cultural experiences that showcase NSW’s creative sector, helping to foster a dynamic city and state that thrives both day and night. This event is not only an opportunity to showcase home-grown creative talent, but also underscores the importance of world-class activations and events to the NSW visitor and creative economies.”

CEO of ARIA Annabelle Herd said: “Great Southern Nights in 2024 proved the live music industry is not slowing down, as thousands flocked to venues across Sydney and our regional communities.

“We’ve seen unexpected discoveries flourish while venues have kept their doors open late night after night to celebrate the unifying power of music. ARIA is proud to support such an impactful program for the industry and believe it will continue to thrive in years to come.”

Great Southern Nights’ performing band Pacific Avenue said: “Great Southern Nights has been a phenomenal boost for Australia’s music industry. The pandemic dealt a heavy blow to musicians and bands, significantly escalating touring expenses. Thanks to this initiative’s support, we had the opportunity to return to one of our favourite venues in the country, with an incredible line-up of local and interstate artists.

“It was amazing to have the opportunity to highlight the talent of our wonderful friends. It enabled us to forge deeper connections with our fans in a more intimate setting, sharing an unforgettable evening of music. Truly, it was a unique experience we couldn’t have achieved without Great Southern Nights.”

.

Photography by Harley Brown

.

Follow GREAT SOUTHERN NIGHTS
Website – Instagram – Facebook
Twitter – Youtube – Tiktok

.

Great Southern Nights is a NSW Government initiative delivered via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW in partnership with the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

About Destination NSW

Destination NSW is the champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. Spearheading a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, Destination NSW is responsible for leading the delivery of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 in partnership with government and industry. Destination NSW influences and shapes the visitor economy through strategic research, policy and thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and consultation, commercial partnerships and investment in visitor experiences, business support, marketing and events. Destination NSW is also the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for the purpose of securing more international and domestic conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and exhibitions.

About ARIA

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a national industry association with more than 175 members representing major and independent record producers, manufacturers, and distributors. ARIA acts as an advocate for the Australian music industry, administers the labelling code of practice, and compiles industry information and research. It also produces the ARIA Charts every week and the annual ARIA Awards. Most importantly, ARIA supports Australian music and creates opportunities for it to be heard.

We acknowledge First Nations People as the Traditional Owners and sovereign custodians of the lands on which we work, live and where our event takes place. We recognise their continued connection to Country and their respective nations across this continent and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We also celebrate the unique and inspiring creativity and Songlines of the world’s oldest living culture and give thanks for the immeasurable influence First Nations People continue to have over the music and art we enjoy.

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB