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10 July, 2024
Soggy start but an epic ending to Big Red Bash at Birdsville
Some of the biggest names in Australian music gathered in the Outback.
The sound of thousands singing in unison swept across the plains of the Simpson Desert outside of Birdsville, giving Big Red Bash festival goers the ultimate finale to an epic Outback extravaganza.
While it was a soggy start to the event for festivalgoers, the sun was out for the duration of the Bash, with big crowds lapping up the fun on and off the stage.
Jon Stevens, known for his commanding vocals and dynamic stage presence, headlined the third and final night with his hugely successful Noiseworks and INXS Collection show.
Stevens brought the energy as well as the emotion, belting out iconic hits like Take Me Back, No Lies, and INXS classics such as Need You Tonight and Never Tear Us Apart.
Ian Moss took the stage earlier with a perfectly curated set of solo hits, covers and Cold Chisel anthems, following the band’s announcement of a 50-year anniversary tour later this year.
Moss’ genius guitar playing and soaring voice reverberated off the Big Red sand dune.
Big Red Bashers also saw fantastic performances from Vanessa Amorosi who hit the outback stage for the first time as well as Bash favourites Sarah McLeod and Chocolate Starfish.
“It’s always a mix of extreme happiness and relief that we’ve delivered another successful event when we hit the end of day three,” said festival founder and managing director of the Outback Music Festival Group Greg Donovan.
“We run on adrenaline and the energy of our performers and our amazing crowd during the event, and then before we know it an event that is 12 months in the making is over.
“This year had so many highlights and we’ll cherish the many new memories made along with all our festival goers.
“Within a few days you won’t even know we created a mini city in this pristine Outback setting,”
A massive 2754 Big Red Bash attendees freeze-frame danced their way to a new world record for the “most amount of people doing a freeze-frame dance”, beating the previous record of 1308.
And while they smashed the freeze-frame record, Birdsville revellers fell short of toppling the current Nutbush dance record of 6594 boot-scooters which was set at sister event the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash last year.
A dance with a worthy cause at its core, the Nutbush has been raising much-needed funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service since 2016, with this year’s bush dancers raising an impressive $46,800 for their amazing work, bringing the total raised for the worthy cause to an impressive $114,000..
Away from the main stage, attendees enjoyed a plethora of activities where there was something for everyone.
From desert dance parties and sunrise yoga to sand dune surfing – there was no shortage of frivolity.
Families enjoyed fun runs, art workshops, and acoustic campfire sing-alongs, while adventurers explored 4WD desert expeditions and wildlife spotting.
The Big Red Bash once again showcased why it’s the most iconic Outback music festival, blending top-tier Aussie musical performances with the unparalleled beauty of the desert landscape.
Headlining the event were Oz legends, Tina Arena and Stevens, joined by an epic lineup of more than 30 artists including Moss, Colin Hay, Tim Finn, Diesel, Baby Animals, Vanessa Amorosi, Mark Seymour, Richard Clapton, Casey Barnes, Shane Howard, Pierce Brothers, Bjorn Again, Mi-Sex, Chocolate Starfish – Bat Out of Hell, The Rolling Stones Revue starring Phil Jamison, Tex Perkins and Tim Rogers, Furnace & the Fundamentals, Ash Grunwald, Fanny Lumdsen, Sarah McLeod, Hayley Mary, Steve Balbi and Amy Ryan.