Making its epic return for 2025, Great Southern Nights is the premiere gig guide for everything that drops a beat and makes you stamp your feet in NSW.
With a lineup covering more than 300 shows from 21 March to 6 April, you’ll be able to find an artist you love or discover fresh talent along the coastlines of Byron Bay, Newcastle, and Wollongong.
With an agenda set at bringing the beats to your backyard, Great Southern Nights will be hosting an event everywhere from the heart of the outback in Broken Hill to every stop in between.
A celebration of the best and boldest in Australia’s live music industry, the 17-night festival is sure to cater to all good-time enthusiasts. Here are some of the key gigs to catch over the coming weeks.
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Budjerah (28 March)
ARIA-winning Coodjinburra artist Budjerah joins the Great Southern Nights lineup following his skyrocket to mainstream fame and acclaim, with sold-out performances at the Sydney Opera House for VIVID LIVE as well as performances with global music superstars Kylie Minogue and Ed Sheeran.
Named GQ’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2022, the 22-year-old singer is swiftly becoming a major player in the Australian music scene, making his performance at Great Southern Nights a must-see set.
Sons of the East (29 March)
Following the smash success of their debut album Palomar Parade, the singer-songwriter sensations at the heart of Sons of the East are dropping a new single – “Wish I Knew” – to coincide with their biggest-ever Australia tour. At their heart a wholly independent band, the trio have amassed 60m YouTube views and 2m monthly listeners across their dazzling onstage and in-studio career.
Winston Surfshirt (4 April)
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Marking his first headline performance in years, multi-platinum-selling singer, producer and rapper Winston Surfshirt comes to Great Southern Nights with his genre-blending new single “Boots”. Mixing early 2000s dancefloor beats with contemporary EDM, Winston Surfshirt brings his high-tempo tracks to the stage for one night only on 4 April.
Thelma Plum (5 April)
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First Nations singer-songwriter Thelma Plum has been a voice on the rise for over half a decade, following the rave success of her 2019 album Better in Blak. A musical story about culture, heritage, love, loss, and everything in-between, the release was heralded as one of the most successful albums of the year, garnering seven ARIA nominations and the basis of three Platinum singles.
Thelma Plum brings more of her lyrical storytelling to the stage on 5 April, bringing a unique musical style to Great Southern Nights that’s sure not to be missed.
Beyond that, Great Southern Nights gives punters the chance to explore the hidden gems of NSW’s urban music scene with a series of more free-form events, allowing you to make your own musical tracks.
Hollywood Quarter Gig Trail
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Running from 12pm on Saturday 5 April to 4am Sunday 6 April, Surry Hills’s Hollywood Quarter is set to become the must-see hotspot of live music and entertainment – as well as the final of Great Southern Night’s whole gig series.
A live music journey through one of Sydney’s most vibrant areas, the specially curated walk allows participants to explore a lineup of eclectic venues for a unique entertainment and dining experience. The Gig Trail promises a variety of musical buskers across all age groups, with the event’s music curator Trevor Brown says the event draws the street music heritage of Europe, South America, and Africa.
“Think Moroccan, New Orleans jazz, Haitian, French, Italian, African music blends,” he says. “Expect us to mix and match with unexpected combinations, and some exciting musical processions.”
Midtown Newcastle Gig Trail
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A free, unticketed event running from 2pm to 2am, this 12-hour bonanza offers punters the experience to navigate seven unique venues and a whole host of DJs, bands, and solo artists.
In addition, the Midtown Newcastle Gig Trail invites you to free-roam the streets and enjoy performances from buskers, circus players, pop-up acts, and buskers, both inside and outside the selected venues.
Bringing you a mini festival within a single city block, complete with food trucks and live entertainment to bring you dinner and a show, the Newcastle Gig Trail is your invitation to explore what this coastal gem on the east coast has to offer.
For more gigs and set lists at this year’s packed Great Southern Nights, take a look at their lineup here.
This article was made in partnership with Great Southern Nights.
