As Australia’s live music industry grapples with rising costs, changing audience habits and the challenge of creating sustainable opportunities for musicians and venues alike, Berry NSW has secured NSW Government funding through Round 4 of the Uptown Grant Program to build on encouraging early results from its collaborative regional live music model.
The funding will support the delivery of three new A Day Well Spent events this spring, beginning with the Reggae & Roots weekend on 22–23 August. Reggae & Roots combines a ticketed Saturday night event at the Berry School of Arts with a free Sunday music trail through the village.
Curated by Holy Pavlova, Saturday night’s lineup on 22 August features internationally acclaimed reggae powerhouse The Strides, South Coast favourites Mac Tango and internationally experienced DJ Groove Sister. The event will also activate the historic Berry School of Arts while exploring how ticketed events can help support free community programming and a more sustainable future for live music.
The weekend continues on Sunday 23 August, when Newcastle groove outfit KRISP will headline the free village-wide music trail from 1pm until 8pm. Joining them are Fiji-born island reggae duo Liven Roots, Sydney’s all-female reggae collective The Lady Beans, plus acclaimed local performers Kane Calcite, Ren Steele and The Beatmeisters. Together, they’ll bring a vibrant mix of reggae, groove, soul and local talent to venues across the village, encouraging audiences to wander, discover new music and enjoy Berry’s unique live music scene.
Full program details and tickets are available at extendtheweekend.berry.org.au
