Good Things Festival has made good on its promise to return in 2025, this week confirming dates for all of its events.
The touring festival has locked in Melbourne for Friday December 5th, Sydney for Saturday December 6th and Brisbane for Sunday December 7th.
There were some fears among the Australian live music scene that Good Things would face a similar fate to other major events like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo which Rolling Stone AU/NZ revealed would not be returning in 2025.
Speaking to Rolling Stone AU/NZ in February, Chris O’Brien from Good Things Festival and head promoter at Destroy All Lines conceded that Australia’s festival scene is in a precarious position, but promised Good Things’ return this year.
“I’ve never seen a more challenging festival environment in my life and have never seen so many festivals cancel in such a short space of time,” he said at the time.
“Programming festivals is incredibly difficult as so many of our costs have sky rocketed over the past two to three years. The flow on effect is that the artists cost has also exploded and it makes it harder for them to come to Australia, so we have to pay more money to get them here. In the same breath we have to be conscience of our ticket prices, but our market has proved that if we keep delivering a quality lineup and a great day out, they will continue to support Good Things.
“2024 was another incredible year for us and we have managed to stay ahead of the curve and buck the trend.”
O’Brien continued: “We have to maintain the rage and continue to offer them lineups that are exciting. I can guarantee that Good Things will be back in 2025.”
First launched in 2018, Good Things has quickly climbed the festival ranks to become one of Australia’s biggest festivals, particularly in lieu of the now-defunct Soundwave festival, which O’Brien also co-managed.
Boasting local and international acts from the rock, punk, and metal scene, Good Things has been headlined by the likes of Bring Me the Horizon, Parkway Drive and The Offspring. The travelling, one-day format visits Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane late in the year, and in 2024 welcomed more than 100,000 punters.
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, however. In 2023, US heavyweights Fall Out Boy were forced to call off their headlining set in Sydney just minutes in due to bad weather. And this past December, Sum 41 axed all of their Australian festival and headlining dates after frontman Deryck Whibley fell ill, despite the Canadian band being in the country.
