Mushroom Events Posts Biggest-Year In 2023 (EXCLUSIVE)

Sun and surf. Food with old friends. Good times, on time-off. All of these things go hand in glove, though, based on new results shared by Mushroom Events, nothing beats tunes and our favourite teams.

As Mushroom Group celebrated its 50th anniversary, Mushroom Events posted its biggest-ever year, reps tell The Music Network, delivering more than 110 events across Australia.

During the 2023 calendar year, the Melbourne-based business booked over 190 homegrown and international artists, from KISS to Tones And I, G Flip, The Veronicas, Amy Shark, Dan Sultan, Client Liaison and more, who, collectively, performed more than 1,000 songs.

Connecting live music with corporate events and sporting spectacles is a growing space.

“There’s nothing Australians like more than sport and live music,” comments Mushroom Events project director Anna Toman.

“Live music builds on the fan experience by adding excitement and energy to an event. The right artist at the right event can create a truly unforgettable experience.”

Anna Toman

Mushroom Events was established in 2010 with the late Mushroom Group chairman and founder Michael Gudinski, initially to service the entertainment requirements of Australia’s biggest sporting events.

Now a four-strong team, led by Toman, the company has evolved into an event and booking specialist that services major sports and corporate events, one that integrates with the other Mushroom businesses, including Mushroom Creative House, production, legal, publishing, labels, and Frontier Touring, itself coming off an all-time year.

Clients include the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the AFL, AFLW, Melbourne Cup Carnival, plus charitable fundraisers The Big Freeze, Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend Gala, The Million Dollar Lunch and Robert Allenby Ball.

For the AFL Grand Final, notes Toman, the company worked closely with Mushroom’s production and creative companies to develop and deliver the entire live show, headlined by Rock Hall inductees KISS.

Fortunately KISS was already in Australia on its Final Curtain farewell tour, presented by One World Entertainment, TEG Live, and Pure Gold, “but you have to put forward all the logistics and creative,” explains Toman, “taking into account what is best for the event and how best to present the client, in this case the AFL, to the world.”

If landing KISS for the footy final had an element of good fortune, some projects have a years-long gestation.

“We discuss the brief with the client and understand what their requirements are, what their goals are and what they’re trying to achieve,” Toman explains. “It can be a long process which sometimes takes years of development.”

As the business cranks-up for another another busy run, Toman pays tribute to the “values and ethics Michael Gudinski instilled in everyone” at the Mushroom Group.

“There is a huge appetite to incorporate live music at events, which is fantastic because it gives emerging talent an opportunity to showcase their music,” says Toman.

“On top of that, a lot of these opportunities also include a broadcast moment, which has incredible promotional value for new artists.”