Two of Australia’s biggest blockbuster outback music events – the Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash – today announce stacked 2023 artist line-ups, led by festival headliners ICEHOUSE and a slew of Australian music royalty including John Williamson (Big Red Bash only), Hoodoo Gurus, Human Nature, Pete Murray, The Angels, The Waifs, Kate Ceberano, Troy Cassar-Daley and many more.
The Birdsville Big Red Bash – the world’s most remote music festival, and the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash – Outback NSW’s biggest live music event, will both welcome ICEHOUSE to their unique red desert settings for what will surely be iconic performances of Great Southern Land, Electric Blue, Crazy and many other classics from their legendary four-decade career.
Instantly recognisable as an unofficial Australian anthem, ICEHOUSE’s Great Southern Land was inspired by the striking outback landscapes on which the Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash are now staged.
Looking ahead to the 2023 Birdsville Big Red Bash and 2023 Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash, ICEHOUSE’s front man and songwriter Iva Davies said:
“ICEHOUSE is looking forward to playing in such iconic parts of this great home of ours at the Big Red Bash and Mundi Mundi Bash. Forty years ago, I wrote ‘Great Southern Land’ about an experience I had flying over the great expanse of Australian desert. Now the band and I will finally get a chance to play in that region and experience it from the ground along with a great array of Australian talent.”
ICEHOUSE have never performed in the Birdsville Simpson Desert region or on the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Plains – nor have many of the legendary artists on the 2023 Bash line-ups.
In addition to ICEHOUSE, both festivals will feature huge names in Australian rock, pop, roots and country music including Hoodoo Gurus, Human Nature, Pete Murray, The Angels, The Waifs, Kate Ceberano, Troy Cassar-Daley, Ross Wilson (Big Red Bash only), Dragon, Thirsty Merc (Mundi Mundi Bash only), Chocolate Starfish, Shane Howard, Jack Jones, Pierce Brothers, Wendy Matthews, Grace Knight, Mi-Sex (Mundi Mundi Bash only), Chantoozies, Melanie Dyer, Caitlyn Shadbolt and Furnace and the Fundamentals.
Legendary country music singer John Williamson will also hit the stage at the Birdsville Big Red Bash, reprising his Simpson Desert performance from a decade ago which helped launch what has now become the world’s most remote music festival.
In 2013, Williamson was invited to perform a solo acoustic performance for a few hundred runners on top of the spectacular 40-metre-high Big Red sand dune to celebrate the completion of the Big Red Run ultra-marathon. News of Williamson’s impromptu outback performance spread via the ‘Bush Telegraph’ and attracted punters from surrounding towns, ultimately sowing the seeds for the Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Bill Mundi Mundi Bash – now two of Australia’s most unique bucket list music and travel experiences.
“I had no idea when I was invited to sing on the Big Red sand dune in July 2013, primarily to a gathering of marathon runners, supporters and helpers, that it would inspire one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and certainly one of the most remote. Just me, my stomp box and guitarist, Col Watson. Nowadays the festival is so big that the Big Red sand dune overlooks the festival stage and campsite, which looks like a city of caravans and 4-wheel drives. Now when I finish my performance with ‘True Blue’, a sea of mobile phone torches sway in the dark like glow worms, as far as I can see. Greg Donovan has to be congratulated for pursuing his dream. I’m very proud to have been there at the very beginning and can’t wait to return again in 2023. Australia should be proud that the festival pays homage to our wonderful Outback,” said John Williamson.
“We have added some really amazing new names to the line-ups for 2023 Birdsville Big Red Bash and 2023 Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash. It’s so exciting to have such a stellar rollcall of Australian musicians who represent different generations and genres of music – from classic Oz rock, through to pop, roots, folk, country and more. We can’t wait to throw one hell of a 10 year-anniversary party for the Birdsville Big Red Bash, and to cement the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash as one of the most unique bucket list live music experiences New South Wales has to offer.” said festival owner, producer and Managing Director of the Outback Music Festival Group, Greg Donovan.
On their addition to the 2023 Bash festivals, Hoodoo Gurus’ Dave Faulkner said, “We are really excited we are going to be playing the Big Red Bash and Mundi Mundi Bash next year. This will be our second visit to Birdsville but our first time in Broken Hill, which kinda boggles the mind given the Hoodoo Gurus have been playing for 40 years! What took us so long? We first played the Big Red Bash in 2018 and have vivid memories of the incredible scenery, and the even more incredible people we met along the way. The combination of music, a taste for adventure and good times with good friends made the whole experience unforgettable. We were all a bunch of happy campers and we can’t wait to do it again.”
From the desert of Nevada to the red earth of Outback Australia, Human Nature is also looking forward to bringing their Back to the Sound of Motown show to Bash revellers in 2023.
“We are thrilled to rock-out alongside some of our favourite musicians and bands next year for the Big Red Bash and Mundi Mundi Bash. It’s so exciting to be making a desert change from Nevada USA to our stunning homeland and performing in the wide Australian outback. It will be one of the loudest and most energized audiences we could imagine. We cannot wait to join the fun in 2023.”
The Birdsville Big Red Bash is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
The Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Both the Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash are all-ages, dog-friendly camping events that run across three days with a capacity of around 10,000 per event. The festivals offer up uniquely Australian destination adventures for families, grey nomads, camping and caravanning enthusiasts and intrepid travellers alike.
In addition to the music line-ups, each festival will feature jam-packed programs of unique outback entertainment and activities – from world record attempts for the ‘Nutbush’ dance and ‘Mad Max dress up’, through to comedy and outdoor film screenings, scenic helicopter flights, camel rides, charity fun runs, drag competitions and many more.
While both festival locations are remote, they are easily accessible by road. The Mundi Mundi Plains location has a sealed road leading right up to the event site, while the Big Red Bash location has graded gravel road to reach the festival site. Scheduled and charter flights, plus bus tours, are available to all events – and train transport is also available to Broken Hill for the Mundi Mundi Bash.
The Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash are BYO alcohol for both their campsite and concert areas – and ticket holders are permitted to bring their own food. A large range of food vendors selling both hot and cold food and non-alcoholic beverages will also be on offer at both events.
Both festivals have dog-friendly camping and concert areas, and children aged 11-and-under can attend for free.
Tickets for the Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash will go on-sale October 25th 2022. Information and ticket purchasing details follow:
What: 2023 Birdsville Big Red Bash
Where: Big Red sand dune, 35 km West of Birdsville
When: July 4-6, 2023
More info & tickets: www.bigredbash.com.au (tickets released October 25, 2022)
Full Line-Up: ICEHOUSE, John Williamson, Hoodoo Gurus, Human Nature, Pete Murray, The Angels, The Waifs, Kate Ceberano, Troy Cassar-Daley, Ross Wilson, Dragon, Chocolate Starfish, Shane Howard, Pierce Brothers, Wendy Matthews, Grace Knight, Jack Jones, Melanie Dyer, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Furnace and the Fundamentals, The Chantoozies and The Big Red Bash Band.
What: 2023 Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash
Where: Belmont Station, on the Mundi Mundi Plains 9km north of Silverton – 35km north of Broken Hill
When: August 17-19, 2023
More info & tickets: www.mundimundibash.com.au (tickets released October 25, 2022)
Full Line-Up: ICEHOUSE, Hoodoo Gurus, Human Nature, Pete Murray, The Angels, The Waifs, Kate Ceberano, Troy Cassar-Daley, Dragon, Thirsty Merc, Chocolate Starfish, Shane Howard, Jack Jones, Pierce Brothers, Wendy Matthews, Grace Knight, The Chantoozies, Melanie Dyer, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Furnace and the Fundamentals, Mi-Sex, Tha Boiz, The Mundi Mundi Bash Band and The Waterbag Band.
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