Australia: Transforming Sydney, Bluesfest Back To 5 Days & More

The New South Wales (NSW) government appointed a 40-strong advisory group as part of its reigniting of Sydney as a 24-hour city.

It will support moves to reboot the night time activity with greater diversity and less reliance on alcohol; increase investment; create jobs and increase trading; and finding ways to get people socialising when restrictions are lifted in October.

Michael Rodrigues, appointed 24-Hour economy commissioner in February, said the 40 were the elite of their sectors, “our own Justice League” which would “transform” the city.

It represents live performance, retail, hospitality, arts and culture, sport and local government.  Names include Justine Baker, Night Time Industries Association; Jade McKellar, Sydney Opera House; Kerri Glasscock, Sydney Fringe; Jason Roberson, Australian Venue Co; Jane Slingo, Electronic Music Conference; Annabelle Herd, Australian Recording Industry Association; Emily Collins, Music NSW; and Greg Hawkins, The Star Entertainment Group.

A strategy document wanted live music initiatives to include reviewing noise regulations, more pop-ups gigs, quicker licensing; cheaper parking, late night food and transport options, and a neon-grid to give precincts a single view.

Bluesfest, which recently rescheduled for the third time to its traditional Easter slot in 2022, is also going back to a five-day format.

It followed NSW’s Sept. 27 decision to return to “COVID-normal” Dec. 1. “It’s been a really tough journey for all of us, and finally to see the way ahead feels like Christmas has come early,” said festival director Peter Noble.

The event now kicks off a day earlier on Thursday April and runs until Monday April 18. Thursdaze will feature First Australian acts, performances curated by a “legend of the Australian music industry” and reunions by a number of “classic” Australian bands.

Australia becomes the fifth territory to get Live Nation’s artist discovery Ones To Watch, after the US, UK, China and New Zealand.

It launches with an October 8 showcase at Adelaide’s Lion Arts Factory with the South Australian government’s Music Development Office and music association Music SA. 

It will feature alt-rock bands Teenage Joans and Colourblind and hip hop trio East AV3, among five recipients of the 2021 Robert Stigwood Fellowship, named after the South Australian born global showbiz entrepreneur.

Ones To Watch curator Chris Akavi said, “By launching the platform in Australia, emerging artists are able to reach both local and global music fans at an incredibly fast pace.”

In New Zealand where it launched 12 months ago with Vodafone NZ, it delivered four showcases with 13 acts, and 45 pieces of content from gigs and interviews shared globally with 8.7 million total marketing reach to date.

While Tame Impala returned to the US early September, domestic fans of the Australian band will have to contend to waiting two and a half years before hearing The Slow Rush album live.

The seven-date arena run was originally for April 2020, then December 2021. But “constantly changing local and international border closures and associated government directives” saw Chugg Entertainment, Frontier Touring and Laneway Presents shift to Oct. 15-29.

There’ll be fresh opening acts, with singer songwriter Ladyhawke for Auckland, and rapper Genesis Owusu and First Nations writer/producer Sycco for the Aussie dates.