Paul KellyState-wide music festival Great Southern Nights returns to New South Wales in May for its fifth year, expanding the lineup to cover hundreds of gigs, artists and genres across 17 days.
Two of Great Southern Nights’ main events this year are the Live Fests – single-day mini-festivals with road-trip-worthy line-ups. Both will host some legendary artists spanning an eclectic mix of genres from roots through to electronic, with stops in Dubbo and Tamworth.
Dubbo’s Lazy River Estate is first up on May 2, hosting Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, The Cruel Sea, The Cat Empire, Kasey Chambers and Jess Hitchcock. Then, on Saturday, May 9, Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre (TRECC) will host Lime Cordiale, Jet, The Living End, Thelma Plum and Kita Alexander as they take the stage.
We find out what each artist has been up to and hear what excites some about this year’s Live Fests.
Dubbo
Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly has been as busy as ever. The Aussie icon has been performing with his band most weeks as part of his Red Hot Summer Tour – even after recently breaking his finger – with appearances at dozens of regional cities. He wrapped up 2025 with an appearance on triple j’s Like a Version, covering Kylie Minogue’s Did It Again, as well as celebrating his 70th birthday with his 30th studio album, Seventy, which has been well-received.
Kasey Chambers
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Country icon Kasey Chambers has also been on the road with Kelly for the Red Hot Summer Tour, and she recently won an ARIA Award for her album Backbone, as well as collecting a couple of trophies at the Golden Guitar Awards for the release. Chambers also recently performed in Tamworth, singing in a First Nations language (Western Aranda from Central Australia) with Warren H Williams on Ntaria, a song about Williams’ homeland.
Missy Higgins
She never truly left the spotlight, but Missy Higgins was thrust back into it in mid-2025 when her classic songs Scar and The Special Two placed fourth and fifty-second, respectively, in triple j’s Hottest 100 of Australian Songs of All Time. She was also recently nominated for four ARIA Awards, as well as announcing shows in the Maldives and Darwin. Similarly to Kelly, she’s been on the tour circuit despite rocking a moon boot from a badly sprained ankle. Hopefully, all our musos have health insurance.
The Cat Empire
Melbourne’s ska sweethearts The Cat Empire rarely slow down, and lately have been no exception. They’ve been touring with Paul Kelly and some other Great Southern Nights acts in the lead-up to Live Fest, as well as having a run of orchestral shows scheduled for later this year. Never a band to shy away from ambitious travel plans, they’ll then head on tour to Canada and Fiji. Whew!
Jess Hitchcock
Jess Hitchcock is living a touring musician’s best life – playing a heap of shows, bringing her dog on the road, and even attempting to use one written setlist for an entire tour. The latter has been successful so far, despite some torrential rain at a recent Mornington show. We’re not sure if there’s any world record tied to this kind of thing, but Jess Hitchcock might get a call from Guinness World Records if it keeps up.
The Cruel Sea
In celebration of their appearance at Live Fest Dubbo, The Music caught up with Sydneysiders The Cruel Sea to find out about what’s ahead of them, what they’re excited about when it comes to Live Fest, and their experiences in touring regionally.
What have you been working on recently/what's coming up for you?
Well, we’ve been on the Red Hot Summer tour bill with Paul Kelly since the new year, so that’s kept us off the streets. We’re having a busman’s holiday, playing some shows in Bali after this, then a break for us while we sniff around for more shows. At this stage of the game, we just want to look after ourselves and our vibe so we can continue to play killer gigs.
What are you most looking forward to about performing at GSN? Any other artists you're excited to see/work with?
We are looking forward to getting off the coast and hanging in Dubbo. I haven’t been there since I played footy. And I’ve got friends to catch up with! All the bands on this tour have been travelling and playing together all year, so there’s a wonderful spirit to share with Dubbo town.
How do you find playing regionally vs in cities? Favourite thing/s about playing in regional destinations?
We’ve really enjoyed playing regional shows. It’s been a great relief to get away from cities and hassles and elevators and drive ourselves on road trips with hamburgers and motels and catch little planes. And we enjoy exploring cool towns.
What's your relationship to or experience with regional performances? How has playing in these towns/cities impacted you and your career?
The people at regional shows are relaxed and appreciative and get right into it. It’s a privilege to be there for them, and especially playing with Paul Kelly, we feel we come to town carrying a message of unity and community through music. That feeling of purpose is what sustains us, and at our age, we are guided by gratitude.
Tamworth
Lime Cordiale
The evergreen coastal duo heads to Tamworth after organising and headlining the first large-scale battery-powered festival in Australia, which took place earlier this month. Lime Green ran on renewables, with organic food options for punters as well. Between the festival, an appearance at Great Southern Nights and a baby on the way for guitarist Ollie Leimbach, the Lime Cordiale boys are keeping busy.
Jet
Melbourne rockers Jet just played to a massive crowd at Chile’s Festival Rec, and they’ve got upcoming tours scheduled for both Europe and the USA. In the meantime, they’re bringing the energy to Great Southern Nights – right in the middle of their regional pub tour, which sees them rip it up across eight intimate shows in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. If you’re quick, they’re also giving away a custom Jet Telecaster.
Thelma Plum
Thelma Plum is appearing at Tamworth’s Live Fest following a dreamy support slot with Crowded House and a very vibey live show at Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens alongside Sons of the East and Jem Cassar-Daley. Her album I’m Sorry, Now Say It Back also picked up a recent ARIA Award for Best Pop Release. Plum will jet off to New York for Mates Festival following her Great Southern Nights show.
Kita Alexander
To celebrate her appearance at Live Fest Tamworth, The Music had a chat with Kita Alexander about what’s on the horizon for her – a new album – and her relationship with regional touring.
What have you been working on recently/what's coming up for you?
My sophomore album, RAGE, is coming out on June 26, so I’ve basically been living in album world. I’m really excited to share this music soon and play a few of the songs live at this show.
What are you most looking forward to about performing at GSN? Any other artists you're excited to see/work with?
I’m really excited to come back to Tamworth again! I was there last year for a show, and it was so much fun. I fully leaned into it and even left with a cowboy hat, haha.
There are so many great artists playing when I’m there, so I’m excited to stick around to catch their sets.
How do you find playing regionally vs in cities? Favourite thing/s about playing in regional destinations?
I also think the energy is different at a regional show compared to a major city show in the best way. Maybe it’s because artists don’t come through as often, but people really show up, and it makes the whole experience feel so alive.
What's your relationship to or experience with regional performances? How has playing in these towns/cities impacted you and your career?
I’ve always loved playing regional shows. I did a big headline regional run for my debut album in 2024, and it honestly felt really special getting to connect with people who don’t always have easy access to the city shows. There’s something about those rooms that feels a bit more personal.
Those shows have definitely built my connection with my audience and reminded me how important playing regionally is.
The Living End
Living legends The Living End recently released an album, I Only Trust Rock and Roll, along with a run of sweet splatter vinyl to go with it. They’ve also recorded a mini-documentary of the album recording process, which you can take a gander at if you subscribe to their mailing list. They’ll perform in Auckland later this year, so Live Fest might be your last chance to catch them in Australia for a little while.
Live Fest Dubbo and Tamworth will take place as part of this year’s Great Southern Nights programme. You can explore the line-up, gig trails and more at the Great Southern Nights website.
