Disco diva’s plan for old Bluesfest site

LISA Hunt has some big plans for this iconic Byron Bay venue.

Singer Lisa Hunt is planning a series of events in Byron Bay over the summer.

IT HAS been a painful year for many and performers have been among some of the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Northern Rivers musician Lisa Hunt, the lack of income and inability to perform on stage has been hitting hard.

Ms Hunt has lodged a development application seeking approval for a series of events to be held at Red Devils Park in Byron Bay over the summer period.

"It started as a down-to-earth solution that I thought would be simple," Ms Hunt said.

The idea was hatched in July and at that stage, Ms Hunt hadn't played a gig for three or four months.

She still hasn't made it back to the stage but is hopeful, if Byron Shire Council processes the DA in time, and in her favour, that there will be 20 to 25 shows offering a range of musicians a chance to finally play live in a boutique outdoor setting.

If everything goes smoothly, Ms Hunt said The Beautiful Girls were lined up for the first show, on December 18.

Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson, Busby Marou, and Ms Hunt herself are among those slated to perform on other dates.

For now, Ms Hunt said she's hopeful to get DA approval in time.

"I have no idea what could possibly happen if it doesn't come through because it'll just be another financial apocalyptic disaster," she said.

Ms Hunt said she hadn't experienced any disruption akin to COVID since "the world shut down" after the September 11, 2001 disaster in the United States.

This year, she was dealing with the thought of her family living in hard-hit New York along with the horrific scenes in Italy, which she generally visits every year.

"It was like my whole world had collapsed and all I did was sit in front of the television watching the news on three time zones," she said.

She said Byron's Black Lives Matter protest was the first time she had left the house for a while.

Now, she is hopeful her plans will bring some life back to the local music scene.

Originally published as