City of Newcastle’s New Annual festival anticipates boosting live music scene

The City of Newcastle will see more than forty live music events reinvigorate the local COVID-19-disrupted live music industry during the inaugural New Annual festival period between 12th and 21st February.

City of Newcastle is investing $20,000 into the Live Music Grant Program (LMGP), which has seen applications from local venues to host live music events across the city during the New Annual festival.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes advised “The Live Music Grant Program is yet another initiative led by the City of Newcastle, sharply focussed on providing real support and promotion of our amazing, world-renowned live music industry and is delivering directly on key objectives of our Live Music Strategy.

“A vibrant local live music scene is vital to ensuring Newcastle continues to offer a bustling arts and culture scene, and a lively, diverse and safe night-time economy.

“With an influx of visitors sure to flock to our local venues for the City’s inaugural New Annual festival, we’re very pleased to provide additionally financial support and encouragement to host live music events right across Newcastle.

Ward 4 Councillor Matt Byrne welcomed the strong support for Newcastle’s live music industry, particularly for popular venues throughout the City’s suburbs and added “the two-pronged approach we’re taking will not only provide a boost to local venues financially hit as a result of COVID-19, but also our city’s local musicians and homegrown artists that rely on live music events for their livelihood.

“The grant program also ensures that funding extends to venues like the Racecourse Hotel at Wallsend, as it’s important that the festival atmosphere is felt right across the LGA to benefit the entire community.”

Racecourse Hotel Manager Jeremy Lowe said the Live Music Grant Program was well received and hopes the grant will help attract New Annual visitors to his venue at Wallsend for multiple live music events held during the month.

“We are excited to receive this financial boost thanks to the City’s grant program, which allows us to become part of the New Annual festival celebrations with the rest of the city by hosting live music events at our hotel.

“Our community in Wallsend is set to benefit from experiencing quality, homegrown, live entertainment.

“To see and hear live music performed in a hotel that you frequently patronage, it adds to the rich fabric of our community and ensures we are fostering our local talent.”

Visit the New Annual festival website for a full list of live music events and dates.

BOOST ARTS & CULTURE LIVE MUSIC GRANT PROGRAM RECIPIENTS:

Beach Burrito Co - Cooks Hill

Cambridge Hotel – Newcastle West

Jams Karaoke Bar – Newcastle West

Meet Restaurant – Newcastle East

Oriental Hotel – Cooks Hill

Racecourse Hotel – Wallsend

The Duke of Wellington – New Lambton

The Exchange Hotel – Hamilton

The Kent Hotel – Hamilton

The Lass O’Gowrie Hotel – Wickham

The Lucky Hotel – Newcastle East

The Mark Hotel – Lambton

The Rogue Scholar – Newcastle West

The Stag Inn & Hunter Hotel – Mayfield

Wickham Park Hotel – Wickham

Image (Left to Right): Councillor Matthew Byrne, Publican Holly Bidwell, Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, Racecourse Hotel manager Jeremy Lowe and local musician's Dave Javier and Gabe Argiris. Courtesy City of Newcastle