Berry NSW will come alive with the sound of live jazz and blues this March, as multiple venues across the village host performances as part of the A Day Well Spent live music series.
Taking place on Thursday 19 March and Sunday 22 March, the event will transform the town into a vibrant live music precinct, with performances spread across local venues to create a lively village wide atmosphere.
A Day Well Spent forms part of Extend the Weekend, a destination campaign supported by the NSW Government UPTOWN Grant Program. The initiative encourages visitors and locals to stay longer, visit across more days and help reduce the town’s reliance on peak holiday periods.
Precinct Coordinator Kate Dezarnaulds said the opening weekend in February had created strong momentum for the series.
“The first weekend exceeded our expectations,” Ms Dezarnaulds said. “People were genuinely surprised by the calibre of musicians performing across the town and the response from audiences was fantastic. There was a real buzz around Berry and venues are already asking how they can be involved.
“We’re even hearing stories of people travelling interstate to see particular bands, including visitors from Melbourne who had never been to Berry before. The aim is to create a new rhythm of live music in Berry that works for locals and visitors alike.”
Local venues reported strong crowds during the launch weekend. Bridie Brooker from The Great Southern Hotel said the turnout was far greater than expected.
“We genuinely didn’t expect it to be that busy and had actually sent a couple of staff home early, but the place filled up and we had to call them back in. There were lines out the door at one point and a fantastic buzz around town.”
The March weekend will feature a strong lineup led by internationally recognised blues guitarist and vocalist Frank Sultana Blues Band, winner of the prestigious International Blues Challenge in Memphis and widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading contemporary blues artists. South Coast favourites Tall Shaun and The Resolution will also perform, bringing their energetic mix of blues and soul to the program.
Future dates for A Day Well Spent include 21 and 24 May with an indie themed weekend, followed by funk and soul performances on 18 and 21 June.
Full program details are available at extendtheweekend.berry.org.au.
