Community, Culture, Country: The ‘Why’ Behind Byron Music’s Ambitious New Festival
Byron Music Festival (BMF) is an all-ages, all-inclusive, multi-venue, weekend-long music festival combined with a flagship cultural placemaking event that celebrates the immense creative talent of Byron Bay and beyond.
A vision of Byron Music Shop owner Nick Sergi years in the making, the purpose of the event is to reinvigorate the local music industry by creating paid and exposure opportunities for Northern Rivers based artists, and to re-establish a connection for the local music industry and wider community, as part of the long road to recovery for regional based artists and arts workers post-pandemic.
These activities will directly positively impact the local economy by revitalising the Byron Bay nighttime economy, including multiple local business across an array of industries, creating cultural engagement that has myriad social benefits including community connection, and contributing to the town centre’s flourishing during low tourist season.
“This event is essentially a gift to our community,” says Byron Music proprietor and BMF Director, Nick Sergi. “As a music retailer I witnessed first hand how our local musicians struggled through the pandemic and felt helpless as many left the region because they couldn’t afford to live here anymore. We sadly haemorrhaged countless talented people who were major contributors to our cultural profile and community in general, and we’re still feeling the effects. We’re also losing industry professionals that create events and projects that make our area so wonderful to live in because there are so few creative employment opportunities locally. I took it on myself to create something that we can all look forward to again, and a way for our emerging and mid-tier artists to perform and get paid again”.
Over three days Byron Music Festival hosts a diverse line-up of all-local musicians throughout venues including Treehouse at Belongil, The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Services Club, Salty’s, and an iconic beachfront event in Dening Park. Spanning all genres and demographics, the program is designed to appeal to and be accessible to locals.
“We’re filling the gaps between the major festivals that many locals find hard to afford or get to, whilst producing high-quality programming and experiences to showcase what the people of our area of capable of. It’s a reminder to us all why Byron Bay is so special to live in and for us to come together in celebration again. It is the ultimate ‘made by locals for locals’ event, says Nick.
Byron Music Festival’s flagship event at Dening Park on Saturday 17 June is a family-friendly event inspired to use placemaking as way of making music festivals accessible to all in the area.
Of this, Nick says, “It’s a balance between collaborating with local businesses and venues and creating an accessible space for all to access and engage with the arts, as well as celebrating the natural beauty of Arakwal country”.
Byron Music Shop is a family-owned retail outlet, music school, and production company that has been running for fifteen years, collaborating with local musicians and supporting community groups through events, fundraisers, and education programs.
Byron Music successfully produced Byron Bay Guitar Festival for three years 2017-2019 and is striving to grow a multi-armed company that nurtures, employs, and promotes regionally based artists and arts workers to create a more sustainable career and creative economy in our home region.
Byron Music Festival is fundraising for Bay Fm and Byron Youth Service. The fundraising goal is $10,000. Any individual or business who would like to donate a prize to the mega raffle (drawn on Sat 17 June) can register via info@byronmusicfestival.com.au
BMF is supported by Byron Music, Create NSW, Byron Bay Brewery, Stone & Wood, Husk Distillers, Flip Insurance, Hnry, Treehouse Belongil, McGrath Real Estate, SAE, Jonson Lane, The Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay Services Club, Salty’s, Hertz, McWilliams Wines, Azteca Margarita, Altos Tequila, Explore Byron Bay, Humantix, ByronBay.com, and Bay Fm.
Event info:
Byron Music Festival 2023
Friday 16 – Sunday 18 June 2023
Main Event: Dening Park, Byron Bay, Arakwal Bundjalung Country
Main event date: Saturday 17 June, 11am – 8:30pm
Tickets (first release):
General Admission = $55
Youth (7-14 yo) = $20
Under 6’s = Free
Carers = Free