Darwin Showgrounds will never be the same again! With less than three weeks to go before Rodeo Promotions NT presents its inaugural Top End Rock n Rodeo Muster there, the excitement is palpable. A day for all the family, the Muster will be hosting not only some of Australia’s finest country music artists but also Round One of the Northern Golden Buckle Series Rodeo, with more than $20,000 in prize money up for grabs. Nominations are now open through ABCRA i-compete.
So, saddle up and join us for an action-packed Rodeo featuring, drum roll, bull riding, saddle bronc riding, roping, steer wrestling and some fast-paced barrel racing. The Rodeo Muster Cowboys and Cowgirls are guaranteed to put on a great show, while the family can also enjoy carnival rides and much, much more.
Rodeo Promotions NT’s Russell Simpson: “Darwin is positively a-buzzing as this event really is fresh, new and exciting. Everyone loves Country music and a good old fashion rodeo, and this year’s Top End Rock n Rodeo Muster has both and much more in spades. It’s the biggest Muster yet and with a brand new US Marines “mission planning” and operations centre being built in Darwin, if they’re in town I would love some of our American friends to come along and see just how great Australians are at putting on a rodeo.”
Just 12 kilometres from the City Centre, gates open for Top End Rock n Rodeo Muster 2024 at Darwin’s iconic Showgrounds 11.30am Saturday 11 May. Here’s how the day’s program will run:
______________________________
11.30am Gates open
12pm Fame Junkies
1pm Mulletfest
1.30pm Stereobate
3pm Rodeo
7pm Mulletfest
7.30pm Max Jackson
8.30pm Mulletfest
8.50pm The Wolfe Brothers
10.05pm Mulletfest
10.25pm Casey Barnes
11.40pm Mulletfest
12midnight Stereobate
1am It’s a wrap!
______________________________
Taking care of the “Rock” side of the Top End Rock n Rodeo Muster are headliners Casey Barnes and The Wolfe Brothers, who will be joined on the bill by 2024 Golden Guitar Awards New Talent of the Year, Max Jackson, as well as popular local artists Stereobate and The Fame Junkies.
One of the biggest country music superstars in Australia right now, Top End Rock n Rodeo Muster will be Casey Barnes’ first ever Darwin performance with his band. Fresh from his appearance at the biggest country music festival in the world, Stagecoach in California, Casey’s riding high on his latest single, ‘Mayday’, the title track of his forthcoming album which is dropping May 31st. Darwin fans are in for a treat as Casey will be premiering some of the new songs live on stage before the album drops.
Casey Barnes: “We’ve been busting to get up to the NT for the last few years so we’re so excited to let fans know we’re heading up to Darwin for the Rock N Rodeo Muster! They love their country music and we’ve got a massive show planned, fresh off the back of returning from playing Stagecoach in America!”
This year Rock n Rodeo Muster brings the iconic celebration and competition that is Mulletfest to Darwin for the first time, which is only right since Darwin’s very own Kieryn Johnston – NT Mullet Man – took out the Most Extreme Mullet award at the 2023 Alice Springs Red Centre NATS motorsport festival. With Mulletfest kicking off at 1pm, Johnston not only will be competing but will also be judging the kids’ section. As the man himself says, “My mullet is not just a hairstyle for me…it’s a lifestyle.” As his girlfriend says, “I’ll dump him if he ever cuts off his mullet!”
Log onto the Mulletfest website to register.
While Top End Rock N Rodeo Muster 2024 offers everything that makes a good rodeo – bulls, broncs and barrels – in conjunction with Mulletfest, this year also sees the event taking donations for a very important charity:
LET’S HELP BABY KEALII FIGHT BRAIN CANCER
On December 17 last year, Kealii, the 16 month old youngest son of an Indigenous NT family suffered a medical episode that led to the youngster being admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital. One month later an emergency MRI demonstrated that Kealii had “a posterior fossa tumour extending from the fourth ventricle”. Queensland Children’s Hospital applied for Commonwealth assistance to get Kealii to Florida for treatment to commence; however it is subject to approval, so time is of the essence. The cost of his treatments, therapies, medications and ongoing medical care has become incredibly challenging for the family to bear alone. So Top End Rock n Rodeo Muster invites you to donate.
Another great addition to the day’s festivities will be line-dancing led by Alice Springs dance artist Sila Crossley, throughout the day and night between breaks.
Also on hand to keep things moving through the day, from Mulletfest to line-dancing, DJ Longplay, who in his other guise runs Darwin’s popular Air Raid Records store, will be spinning the vinyl – “Real Country Music” – taking audiences on a journey back through the ‘80s and ‘90s.
DJ Sonix will be providing the soundtrack for the rodeo side of things, working with the bands, the competing cowboys and girls, and the commentators.
Gates open 11.30am for Top End Rock n Rodeo 2024 at Darwin Showgrounds Saturday 11 May.
Tickets through Ticketbo
Rodeo Promotions NT is supported by NT Government via Community Benefit Fund.
