Brothers Sam, Max and Riley Conway are running their third Sundowner Festival in Downer, following their work building Gang Gang Cafe into a popular live music venue. The festival runs for 11 hours on 31 October across two stages, with market stalls, food trucks and roving magicians. Sam Conway says capacity has risen to 1000 people but the event still feels intimate. The lineup includes indie rock, post-punk, experimental pop, rap and underground dance acts, among them Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Dust and Wax'o Paradiso.
Singer Kate Ceberano is touring a show that honours Australian Made, a 1986 open-air concert series that helped shape Australian music history. The tour draws on songs from the original line-up, including Jimmy Barnes and INXS, as well as other Australian acts such as Skyhooks, Icehouse and Paul Kelly. Ceberano said many of the songs carry personal stories from her career. The Australian Made encore tour plays Costa Hall on Saturday 31 October.
Capital Brewing Co. co-founder Laurence Kain has shared behind-the-scenes stories from his years running the Foreshore Summer Music Festival in Canberra. He recalled the 2007 event, when heavy rain soaked the site and left the cash so wet it had to be dried in a clothes dryer before it could be counted. In 2008, a crush developed at entry barriers that had not been filled with water. Kain was also inducted into the Australian Hospitality Association's ACT Hall of Fame.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Nundle Rocks will return to the New England region from Friday 22 to Sunday 24 January 2027. The alternative country, folk and roots music festival will feature more than 25 acts, including ARIA Award-winning artist William Crighton and UK folk musician Beans On Toast. Organised by Dashville, it will be held at the Nundle School of Arts Memorial Hall. The 2027 event introduces the Supper Super Round, and The Nundle Nugget Hunters will close the festival on Sunday night. Tickets are limited to 200 people per day and are on sale now.
Spilt Milk will stay in Canberra until at least 2030, under a long-term agreement between the ACT Government and organisers Kicks Entertainment. The festival, founded in Canberra a decade ago, had faced uncertainty about its future. Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the event brings tens of thousands of visitors and boosts local hotels and businesses. Since 2016, the festival has reportedly generated $127 million for the ACT. Tickets for the December 12 festival are on sale in a new limited release for $96.90.
Melbourne guitarist and singer-songwriter Steph Strings will headline the sixth annual Tarwin Lower Festival on Sunday, November 1, at the Tarwin Lower Recreation Reserve. The community event will feature 16 acts across two stages, along with classic car and machinery displays, market stalls, food vans and children's activities. Gates open at 10am. Tickets are $10 for adults and $4 for teens aged 12 to 17 when bought online before the day, with children admitted free. Organisers say the live music program has been expanded this year.
Dee Why Beach will host the inaugural Aloha Festival on Saturday 6 March 2027, with Wolfmother, Ball Park Music and Yothu Yindi announced as headliners. Organisers expect up to 15,000 people and say it could be the largest music festival held on the Northern Beaches. The event will include surf films, shark safety education and a wellness zone. Festival founder Luke Campbell says the event aims to unite the community after recent incidents. Presale access opens Friday 23 October, with general tickets on sale Monday 26 October.
The Gympie Music Muster has raised a record $150,880.88 for prostate cancer awareness, beating its previous fundraising total. The money went to charity partner Get Yourself Checked, which was founded by Mark Tobin and Brett Hanly to encourage men to seek early detection. Funds came from unclaimed armband refunds, container recycling, a guitar auction, a boat raffle and donations. The festival also set a container return record of 452,687 cans and bottles through Containers for Change. Mr Tobin said the foundation was proud of the chance to reach men and families about the disease.
The Northern Beaches Music Festival returns to Narrabeen on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, with 40 acts across three indoor stages at the Tramshed Community Arts Centre. Organisers say about half the lineup comes from the Northern Beaches. Musicians include Luke Escombe, Lady Cool and London's Pump & Pyro. Local restaurants are offering 10% off to festival wristband holders. The festival is run entirely by volunteers. Tickets cost $70 for Saturday, $50 for Sunday or $100 for the weekend, and children under 12 enter free.
A country music campout at Wooroolin Hall, Queensland, was packed out again last month. It was the second campout held at the hall this year. The three-day event features walk-up artists who perform on stage with professional musicians. A Saturday afternoon Variety Concert featured 43 items. Terry and Noraine Mason, from Bundaberg, have taken over running the event from its founders, Geoff Grevell and Sue Bradley, who started it in 2021.
A Sydney father, Frank Stephen Ramirez, is fighting for life in a Colombian hospital after he was found with 25 stab wounds in Medellin. He was discovered on a street at about 4.40am on Sunday, after attending the Electric Daisy Carnival music festival. His family claims he was kidnapped, tortured and thrown from a moving car. Colombian authorities are reviewing surveillance footage to identify the vehicle, and no arrests have been made. His family has launched a fundraiser to cover medical costs and fly his wife to Colombia.
The Illawarra Folk Festival will mark its 40th edition at Bulli Showground from 14 to 17 January, with almost 90 acts. The line-up includes 13 overseas acts, some of which have played at Glastonbury in England. Festival director Shane Moon said the milestone is special, given that many other music festivals have closed. A Le Ruby Ball on the Friday night will invite guests to come dressed in red. Music starts on Thursday 14 January with a charity concert, and Early Bird tickets are available now.
Melbourne punk band Amyl and the Sniffers will headline the Golden Hour festival at Bondi Beach on March 4. The band will be joined by rapper BARKAA and post-punk group Xiao Xiao. Organisers have returned the $99.90 Affordability ticket, aimed at making the event more accessible. Eligible concession, healthcare, pension, seniors and veteran cardholders, students and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can access discounted entry. Waverley area residents will have a dedicated locals presale. General ticket sales open at noon on Thursday, October 22.
NYE On The Hill, the South Gippsland music festival, has announced that its 2026 event will be its last. The festival began in 2009 as an invite-only gathering for Melbourne bands and their friends. Over 17 years it has hosted more than 600 bands and 2,500 musicians and performers, and many played their first festival sets there. The final celebration runs from December 30, 2026, to January 1, 2027, with a lineup including Ball Park Music, The Pacific and Meg Jäger.
NSW Health has issued an urgent warning after an unusually large number of high-dose MDMA tablets were found circulating across the state. The tablets were most recently detected at the Knockout Outdoor music festival in Sydney on Saturday. Chief Addiction Medicine Specialist Dr Hester Wilson said the tablets could be anywhere in the state and may cause severe agitation, seizures, irregular heart rhythm and death. Health authorities urged anyone feeling unwell after taking drugs to call triple-0 immediately, stating they will not get into trouble for seeking care.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
NSW Health has issued an urgent warning after an unusually large number of high-dose MDMA tablets were found circulating across the state. The tablets were most recently detected at the Knockout Outdoor music festival in Sydney on Saturday. Chief Addiction Medicine Specialist Dr Hester Wilson said the tablets could be anywhere in the state and may cause severe agitation, seizures, irregular heart rhythm and death. Health authorities urged anyone feeling unwell after taking drugs to call triple-0 immediately, stating they will not get into trouble for seeking care.
