On Saturday 29 March 2025, Great Southern Nights brought an electrifying Gig Trail to Midtown Newcastle, transforming the heart of the city into a vibrant celebration of live music, street performances and late-night energy.
Running from 2pm to 2am, this free, unticketed event saw seven diverse venues come alive with an eclectic mix of bands, solo artists, DJs, and roving performers.
Between gigs, Midtown’s streets buzzed with buskers, actors, circus performers, and pop-up acts, ensuring non-stop entertainment both inside and outside the venues. From intimate acoustic sets to full-throttle live bands, and from vinyl listening bars to DJ-powered drag spectaculars, this single-city-block festival showcased the best of Newcastle’s thriving nightlife.
With food trucks and local hospitality venues keeping the energy high, the Midtown Newcastle Gig Trail invited music lovers to explore, discover, and celebrate Newcastle’s music scene in an unforgettable, all-night experience.
It was a whole festival in just a single city block!
As part of Great Southern Nights, Midtown Newcastle’s best-loved venues each offered their own unique slice of live music magic. Across seven locations, audiences experienced everything from acoustic indie sets and electrifying rock bands to DJ-driven parties and vibrant drag performances.
Visitors stepped into Bernie’s Bar, home to Newcastle’s drag and dance-floor divas, or lost themselves in the rich vinyl soundscapes of Mad Poet bar. They sang their hearts out at Jams Karaoke and discovered emerging talent at The Happy Wombat and The Koutetsu. With each venue bringing its own atmosphere, sound, and vibe, it was the perfect chance to venue-hop, uncover fresh talent, and fully immerse in Newcastle’s music scene.
All gigs were free and unticketed, encouraging patrons to stay in the district and hop between venues.
Between 2pm and 2am, Midtown played host to a whole troupe of performers, buskers, jokers, actors and general vibes-boosters.
This rag-tag team performed both inside venues and out on the streets in a flurry of spontaneous fun and chaos. Crowds caught impromptu acting, music, circus acts and other frivolity that activated the entire Midtown block.
