Australasia News: Mushroom50 Ratings Smash; Wellington Is ‘Most Creative City’

AUSTRALIA

Mushroom50 Concert A Ratings Bonanza

Mushroom Group’s 50th celebration, including a star-studded concert Nov. 26, was a ratings blockbuster for live-to-air Seven Network and video-on-demand 7Plus.

The telecast drew 830,000, the highest rated entertainment show of the Sunday night, winning the critical 25-54 and 18-49 demographics.

The 50-song show at Melbourne’s 14,820-seat Rod Laver Arena kicked off with its biggest act, Jimmy Barnes. It ended four hours later with Mark Seymour “dueting” with Ed Sheeran, in London, on Hunters & Collectors’ “Throw Your Arms Around Me,” and Hunters & Collectors performing hits “Do You See What I See” and the football anthem “Holy Grail.”

The 36 acts – culled from the group’s recording, publishing and live divisions – included household names Paul Kelly, Amy Shark, Dan Sultan, Vika & Linda, Garbage, Ian Moss, Diesel, Birds of Tokyo, Deborah Conway, Kate Ceberano, alt-J, Frente and the Temper Trap.

Birthday messages from Bruce Springsteen, Russell Crowe, Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Tim Finn and Delta Goodrem, acclaimed the legacy of Mushroom founder Michael Gudinski.

NEW ZEALAND

Wellington Remains ‘Most Creative City’

Wellington retained its unbroken crown as NZ/Aotearoa’s most creative city for 22 years. The latest Infometrics Creativity Index reported that 6.9% of its workforce (12,403 people) were employed in the creative sector in 2022.

Musically, the close proximity of its venues has created a diverse sound of roots rock, jazz and reggae, and home to festivals as Homegrown, Hutt Sounds and Folk In The Vines and venues as Meow San Fran and Hunter Lodge.

Aside from being a UNESCO Creative City of Literature, Wellington is a hub for movies, and innovative technology in animation, VFX and gaming which it is exporting.