Paul Bibby
Byron Bay could host a two-day, beachside music and arts festival in June this year, after an application to hold the event was lodged with Byron Council.
The ‘Byron Music Festival’ would transform Dening Park, beside Byron’s Main Beach, into an all-ages festival ground with 2,000 people enjoying live music, keynote speakers and market stalls.
The two day event, proposed by the owner of Byron Music, Nick Sergi, would focus on promoting local talent and aim to boost the local economy by attracting visitors to the region during the off season.
‘I ran the Byron Guitar Festival for three years until we were forced to stop by COVID-19, so this is a way of re-igniting the idea of a music festival right in the centre of town’, Mr Sergi said.
‘We want it to be 100 per cent local talent, and look at it as a COVID-19 recovery event for the local arts community.’
‘The idea is that it will be financially accessible to as many people as possible, with a lot of the offerings being free’.
Mr Sergi is inviting local musicians who want to play at the festival to apply via the website www.ByronMusicFestival.com.
He is also hoping that Byron’s established venues, such as the three main pubs and Byron Theatre, will also get involved by hosting gigs.
‘We’re chatting to a bunch of different venues this week, and hopefully we’ll get them on board’, he said.
First up, though, he will need to be successful in his application for a temporary event licence from Byron Council.
Before Council
Council staff have recommended that councillors give the event a green light when it comes before them at this Thursday’s Council meeting.
Byron Council’s Events and Economy Team Leader, Jess Gilmore, said in a report regarding the event: ‘It’s been described as “the love child of a street festival and a music industry conference”.’
‘The goal of the festival is to be the region’s premier event that embodies the arts and cultural values of Byron Bay’.
‘The event also aims to showcase the region as the poster-child for environmental and social responsibility.
