Always Live brings a massive music line-up to Victoria this spring
Dozens of music superstars are coming to Victoria this spring as part of the late Michael Gudinski’s exclusive showcase, Always Live. See who will be performing.
Entertainment
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Dua Lipa and Crowded House will perform special shows as part of Victoria’s exclusive music showcase, Always Live, in October and November.
Pop superstar Lipa, a bona-fide arena act with hits Cold Heart, Levitating and Don’t Start Now, will perform an “unprecedented intimate” show at St Kilda’s Palais Theatre on October 30. It is the only theatre show on her Future Nostalgia world tour.
Australian supergroup Crowded House, currently on a world tour, will pack in the hits for a regional show in Wodonga on November 13.
Always Live, an initiative devised by the late music legend Michael Gudinski to promote Victoria as a world-class music hub, will host 150 artists at 90 events across 12 regions.
Other exclusives include homegrown pop favourites Frente, re-forming to celebrate the 30th anniversary of hits including Accidentally Kelly St, Labour of Love and Ordinary Angels.
With their protest anthem also crossing its 30-year milestone, trailblazing Indigenous act Yothu Yindi will perform at the Arts Centre at Blaktivism, an event highlighting the Black Lives Matter movement in an Australian context.
Billy Joel’s one-off Australian show at the MCG in December, and Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s shows at Hanging Rock in November, are also part of the Always Live program.
“It’s exciting to see the program for Always Live brought to life, a new major event which reaffirms Victoria as the music state of Australia, and Melbourne as one of the leading music cities of the world,” Always Live chairman Matt Gudinski said, at a launch event outside the Palais Theatre in St Kilda on Thursday.
“Always Live was a dream my late father had to reassure our state’s live music roots and I am proud to be part of the team making it a reality. Always Live is a key part of reinvigorating Victoria through the power of live music.”
Gudinski added: “Victoria is the place to be if you love live music”.
Elsewhere on the program, rapper Sampa the Great will perform at Hamer Hall, fresh from her support slot on Billie Eilish’s national tour.
Chart-topper Jessica Maubuy will head to Bright for shows, and to celebrate the suburbs, Magic Dirt, Wendy Matthews, Kate Ceberano, and The Black Sorrows will take to the stage in legendary venues outside the CBD.
British disco diva Sophie Ellis-Bextor, with hits including Murder On The Dancefloor and Groovejet, will play an intimate show, capped at 100 people, at the NGV International Garden Restaurant.
German DJ and producer Claptone will unveil his new show, The Masquerade, with supports including Late Nite Tuff Guy, at Riva in St Kilda.
Indigenous rapper Briggs, who attended the launch event on Thursday, will perform and showcase acts from his music label Bad Apples at The Curtin Hotel.
Meanwhile, Bendigo will host the Almost Summer Music Festival with acts including Black Cab, Gabriella Cohen, Kardajala Kirridarra, Pookie and more.
Victoria’s Major Events Minister Steve Dimopoulos said: “We’re delivering the largest-ever live music celebration in Australia … and bringing Victorians the live music experiences they love.”
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