NSW Government labels Great Southern Nights a success, with more than 75,000 tickets sold

More than 75,000 tickets were sold as part of the NSW Government’s recent Great Southern Nights performance series.

Running between November 5-29, the series organised more than 1,100 live performances in over 140 towns and suburbs throughout the state. The aim was to reinvigorate NSW’s live music scene, which took a significant hit at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

“NSW has led Australia, and even the world, in getting live entertainment back on stages, from Great Southern Nights’ 1,100 gigs across NSW to musical theatre reopening in Sydney,” tourism and jobs minister Stuart Ayres said in a statement.

“We have demonstrated that live music is crucial to NSW’s social, cultural and economic well-being and can be enjoyed while following the health advice, which supports NSW’s approach to further easing restrictions in recent weeks.”

Presented in partnership with ARIA, Great Southern Nights saw more than 2,500 artists perform at over 300 venues, with many high-profile names heading to regional venues to perform.

“Thanks to Great Southern Nights for bringing me and so many other artists the opportunity to get back out doing what we love best – connecting with live music and our fans,” Tones And I said.

Roadies and technical staff were also engaged over the course of the initiative, offering a much-needed boost for the industry.

ARIA CEO Dan Rosen added, “It is extremely heartening to see the impact that the Great Southern Nights initiative had on all areas of the live music industry in NSW – from artists and venues to sound and lighting crew.

“This program helped kick-start the live music industry, by getting thousands of artists and music industry professionals back to work and ensuring music fans could experience our great Australian artists in a live environment once again.”

Acts who performed as part of Great Southern Nights included Tash Sultana, Alex The Astronaut, Middle Kids, Bernard Fanning, Thelma Plum, Jessica Mauboy, Ngaiire and Ruel, among others.