From the beer-soaked mosh pits of inner-city haunts to the quiet intimacy of coastal town stages, the artists playing Great Southern Nights 2025 know a thing or two about memorable venues.
The NSW-wide live music initiative returns from March 21st to April 6th, with over 300 gigs taking place across the state. Rolling Stone AU/NZ asked a few of the acts about the venues that have been important to them.
For WAAX’s Maz DeVita, it’s all about community and comfort.
“My favourite venue to play in NSW is Crowbar in Leichhardt. Trad and Tyla have been my friends for almost 10 years and it feels like we have grown together. They have helped foster a home for guitar music that feels safe for weirdos like me.”
For Melbourne dance-punk band Gut Health, The Lansdowne holds a special place in their journey.
“We have a soft spot for The Lansdowne – it’s where we played our first support tour and our debut album launch. The venue holds a rich history, we’ve heard several stories spanning decades about the place. The room’s size, the character of the building, and the sound creates such a nice energy.”
Full Flower Moon Band has always enjoyed playing at La La La’s in Wollongong.
“La La La’s in Wollongong is always a good time. The sound there is great and the crew are always friendly. It’s somewhere we love to be. There’s a pool table upstairs, a photo booth (see evidence) and the greenroom is a balcony right behind the stage—nothing beats an outdoor green room. We did an impromptu set there at midnight on NYE, which tells you everything you need to know. Loose, loud, and memorable.”
For veteran singer-songwriter Ben Lee, who has played more than 100 regional shows in the past year, smaller venues have made a lasting impression.
“In the last year I’ve played over 100 regional shows and there are so many intimate and incredible venues. One of my recent favourites was The Cordial Factory in Grenfell. The whole town feels like you’re in gold rush western and the venue itself, as the name suggests, is a repurposed old industrial space, decorated DIY style with local art, school chairs and bric a brac. It’s hot, sweaty and they have great sound and serve good food. Play there, and the whole town shows up, doesn’t matter if they are fans or not, they will be after they leave. It’s a magical little spot.”
For DJ Havana Brown, atmosphere is key.
“I’ve gotta say, one of my favourite spots to play in NSW is The IVY in Sydney. It’s got this full-on superclub energy that just hits different — the setup, the crowd, the vibe… it’s the perfect venue for me to DJ. I’m also out at Penrith Panthers Leagues Club for Great Southern Nights, and I’ve played there before too. It’s not in the middle of the city, but the crowd always turns up and makes it feel massive. Aussie music is really having a moment right now and being part of that energy is seriously exciting.”
Great Southern Nights 2025 runs from March 21st to April 6th across NSW. Tickets are on sale now at greatsouthernnights.com.au.
Great Southern Nights 2025
Tickets on sale now from greatsouthernnights.com.au
March 21st-April 6th 2025
NSW, Australia
Lineup
ALEKSIAH | ALICE IVY | ALISON WONDERLAND | BABE RAINBOW
BABY ANIMALS | BAG RAIDERS | BEC SANDRIDGE | BEN LEE
BIRDS OF TOKYO | BOO SEEKA|BOOTLEG RASCAL | BOY & BEAR
BRAD COX | BUDJERAH | CARAVANA SUN | CHARLEY
CROOKED COLOURS | CYRIL DEVAURA | DJANABA | ELSY WAMEYO
EMILY WURRAMARA | EMMA PASK | FANNING DEMPSEY NATIONAL PARK | FULL FLOWER MOON BAND
GUT HEALTH | HAVANA BROWN | HOLLY HEBE | HOODOO GURUS
KAIIT | KATE MILLER-HEIDKE | KILLING HEIDI | KINDER
KING STINGRAY | LIME CORDIALE | LYRIC | MALLRAT
MARCIA HINES | MATT CORBY | MEG WASHINGTON | MISS KANNINA
MISSY HIGGINS | MO’JU | NAI PALM | NGAIIRE
NOISEWORKS | NORTHEAST PARTY HOUSE | OFFBEAT COLLECTIVE SHOWCASE | RUNNING TOUCH
SAFIA | SARAH BLASKO | SATIN CALI | SESAME GIRL
SIX60 | SHOCKONE | SLOWLY SLOWLY | SLUMBERJACK
SONS OF THE EAST | SOUTH EAST BLOCK PARTY | TASH | TEENAGE DADS
TEENAGE JOANS | TELENOVA | THE BELAIR LIP BOMBS | THE BETHS
THE CAT EMPIRE | THE CRUEL SEA | THE GROGANS | THE PAPER KITES
THE PRESETS | THE SCREAMING JETS | THE WESTERN DISTRIBUTORS | THELMA PLUM
THIRSTY MERC | TOTAL TOMMY | TROY CASSAR-DALEY | WAAX
WINSTON SURFSHIRT | XAVIER RUDD | YOU AM I | ZIGGY ALBERTS AND MORE
