1. BIGSOUND 2024 ADDS OVER 50 MORE ARTISTS TO FESTIVAL LINE UP + 27 SPEAKERS TO CONFERENCE.
Organisers behind BIGSOUND 2024 have just announced an additional 50 names to this year’s festival lineup. Some of the artists recently announced include R&B songstress Miiesha, pop-punk duo Towns and indie rockers Bean Magazine. Some of Australia’s favourite artists, including Alex the Astronaut and Gretta Ray, were announced earlier in June and these latest additions are expected to bring in a large audience. Joining an already impressive lineup of conference speakers are Kamran Haq, a senior national promoter for Live Nation, ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd and Josh Simons, CEO and Founder of Australian companies Vinyl Group and Vampr. This rounds out an impressive roster of speakers which promise to deliver a diverse and enlightening series of discussions. BIGSOUND festival runs from Tuesday 3 – Friday 6 September in Brisbane and for the first time, event organisers are offering discounted tickets to punters aged 25 and under.
2. THE AMITY AFFLICATION, TONES AND I AND MORE LEAD BIG PINEAPPLE FESTIVAL’S EPIC RETURN.
Following a three-year hiatus, Queensland’s Big Pineapple Music Festival is making its grand return with an impressive lineup. Headliners for the 2024 event include Tones and I and The Amity Affliction while Hip-Hop trio Bliss n Eso, singer Vera Blue and electronic pop duo Peking Duk are set to make their return to the pineapple fields of Woombye, Sunshine Coast. Ocean Grove and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers also lend their name to the recently announced lineup. In a time when live events and festivals in Australia are struggling to stay afloat, the greenlight for the go ahead for Big Pineapple Music Festival signals that there is still a place and demand for live events in the social calendar.
3. ANNE-MARIE EXPLAINS HOW ANXIETY ALMOST MADE HER QUIT MUSIC.
English singer Anne-Marie got recently candid about her struggle with anxiety and how it almost caused her to walk away from her music career. Following a successful debut in 2015 and subsequent release of three albums, the singer found herself overwhelmed by public attention and debated her future as she faced the COVID-19 lockdowns. She stated in an interview with Metro.co.uk that she had “always struggled a lot with anxiety and people looking at me which is kind of strange in this industry…then lockdown happened. I think it was either gonna make me say, 'You know what, I can't handle this. I'm not gonna do it anymore' or it was gonna make me realise that I need to do it”. Luckily, she went with the latter and continued to work on music. Anne-Marie’s confession is a refreshing outlook during a time when honesty surrounding mental health in the music industry is starting to be more discussed.
4. CALOUNDRA MUSIC FESTIVAL CANCELLED FOR GOOD AS COUNCIL PULL FUNDING FOR EVENT.
The Sunshine Coast council has confirmed that they will be discontinuing funding for the long-running Caloundra Music Festival. This is due to budget constraints, and falling ticket sales, which has affected many live events and festivals globally. Established in 2007, the Caloundra Music Festival was already cancelled for 2024 before the announcement of its conclusion. In previous years, the festival showcased an impressive roster of artists including Powderfinger, Missy Higgins and Jimmy Barnes. According to council reports, attendance at the festival had been dropping over the past few years, with the restrictions from the pandemic not helping. In 2019, there were almost 33,000 attendees while it dropped in 2022 to under 14,000. The end of the Caloundra Music Festival not only affects the local economy but also the arts community. Despite the ongoing public desire for live events, the Australian dollar as well as the rising costs of living has made sustainability difficult, and the Caloundra Music Festival is one of the latest casualties.
5. TROY SIVAN ANNOUNCES 2024 AUSTRALIAN TOUR.
Aussie pop star Troy Sivan has announced his four city ‘Something to Give Each Other’ Australian tour, taking place in November 2024. His most recent studio album, also named Something to Give Each Other, peaked at number one on the Australian charts. He will hit Adelaide first on Tuesday 19th November, before heading to Melbourne on Thursday 21st November, Brisbane on Tuesday 26th November before wrapping up in Sydney on Thursday 28th November. Supporting Sivan is Sydney up-and-coming pop singer Nick Ward. This marks Sivan’s first Australian tour in five years and will likely be an immersive and energetic experience.
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