Newcastle’s Midtown is set to come alive as Great Southern Nights expands its program to include an outdoor music trail, transforming the precinct into a vibrant entertainment hub to deliver an unforgettable live music experience.

Reinforcing the NSW Government’s commitment to a more culturally rich and thriving night-time economy, the curated trail will offer lively street entertainment, allowing visitors and locals to walk from venue to venue without missing a single beat.

In a Great Southern Nights first, Newcastle will host a multi-venue live music trail throughout Midtown on Saturday 29 March, featuring buskers, comedians, fire dancers, magicians, live art installations and local food and drink experiences at a range of participating venues including Bernie’s Bar, Jam’s Karaoke, The Happy Wombat, The Rogue Scholar, The Scholar’s Den and more.

The Grand Pricks performed at The Rogue Scholar during the program announcement for the Midtown music trail.

The precinct activation comes as Great Southern Nights prepares to showcase more than 330 gigs across five key NSW entertainment regions, with Newcastle joined by Inner and Western Sydney, Wollongong, and the Central Coast, along with gigs in other regional locations such as Bathurst,
Byron Bay, Broken Hill, the Hunter Valley, Orange, Tamworth and Tilba.

A second precinct activation will also take place in Sydney’s Hollywood Quarter in Surry Hills on Saturday 5 April transforming it into a vibrant music hub in the heart of the Harbour City.

Held from 21 March to 6 April, Great Southern Nights 2025 will spotlight some of Australia’s best musical talent alongside young rising stars, with Newcastle set to host some of the nation’s most popular artists, including King Stingray, Slowly Slowly, Sarah Blasko, Six60, Boo Seeka, The Paper
Kites, The Cruel Sea and more.

Aligning with the NSW Government’s Vibrancy Reforms and new focus on experience-led tourism, Great Southern Nights underscores the commitment to revitalise live music and turbocharge the state’s $52.9 billion visitor economy.

Tickets are already in high demand, with some shows selling out within weeks. Gigs such as Bec Sandridge, The Beths, Boo Seeka, Boy & Bear, Lime Cordiale, Missy Higgins, The Cat Empire, Hoodoo Gurus, SAFIA, Xavier Rudd and You Am I are among those drawing strong interest.

Great Southern Nights is a NSW Government initiative delivered via its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW in partnership with the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).

The gig trails are also supported by the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner’s Uptown District Acceleration Program.

To purchase tickets and to see the full artist line-up, click here.