200 musicians paid to perform across the regional town in the program’s first year
Berry’s popular live music series A Day Well Spent will celebrate music from ‘Around the World’ for its 2026 finale, with performances on Thursday 29 October and Friday 30 October building to a free Sunday of music across the village on 1 November.
The finale will bring the series’ biggest mix of musical cultures yet, spanning West African Highlife, Afro-Cuban salsa, Middle Eastern music, Latin rhythms, Indonesian influences, soul and electronica.
Launched as a four-event trial in February, the series has grown into a year-long live music program that has supported around 200 paid musicians in its first year. The finale will bring the series’ biggest mix of musical cultures yet, spanning West African Highlife, Afro-Cuban salsa, Middle Eastern music, Latin rhythms, Indonesian influences, soul and electronica.
The final instalment will run across three days:
- Thursday 29 October: Guitarist and composer Andre Laus and GabzaK, whose music moves between electronica, cumbia, dub, ska, jazz and Andean rhythms.
- Friday 30 October: Blissed Out! 2 at Berry School of Arts, a separately ticketed event presented by South Coast live music collective Holy Pavlova, featuring Immy Owusu, Paul A. George, Moussa Diakite, The Condiments Trio, Elemental Groove and DJs.
- Sunday 1 November: The main free event, with the popular music crawl returning to venues across Berry and audiences moving between performances throughout the day.
The line-up for the popular Sunday music crawl stretches from the nine-piece South Coast Salsa Coalition’s Afro-Cuban salsa to Middle Eastern music from Syrian oud player Maxeem Georges and flautist Chloe Chung’s Rahil Duo. Jakarta-born electronic artist Putrika will perform with Kyati Suharto-Martin, whose work draws on her Javanese heritage, while Javier Rocha brings reggae, Latin and R&B influences. Melbourne soul artist Hannah Donnelly completes the line-up. With music spilling out across venues throughout the village, audiences can wander between sets, stop for lunch or a drink and discover something new along the way.
Naarm-based musician Immy Owusu grew up in the Victorian surf town of Torquay with Ghanaian heritage, shaping a sound he calls “Afrodelik”, a mix of West African Highlife, psychedelia and Zamrock.
“I grew up surrounded by surf culture and rock music, but at home I had the music and culture of my Ghanaian heritage. Those two worlds eventually found their way into the music I make,” Owusu said. “I love seeing people connect with those sounds, particularly when they’re hearing some of those influences for the first time.”
A Day Well Spent is part of Berry’s broader Extend the Weekend initiative, bringing local venues, musicians and businesses together to encourage longer stays. Supported by the NSW Government’s Uptown Grant Program, what began as a four-event trial in February has grown to involve 11 venues across Berry, demonstrating how far investment in live music can reach in a regional town.
Precinct Coordinator Kate Dezarnaulds said the response from audiences had exceeded expectations.
“The Sundays have created a fantastic atmosphere, with people moving between venues, discovering new artists and making a day of it. There’s a real appetite for this kind of experience, and by working together we can give people more reasons to come to Berry, stay longer and experience more of the town,” Ms Dezarnaulds said.
Participating venues for A Day Well Spent: Around the World include Pickled Ink Kitchen, Le Bar, The Berry General Store, The Rutledge Bar and Eats, The Berry Hotel, The Great Southern Hotel Berry and the Berry School of Arts.
Visitors looking to extend their weekend can also take advantage of special accommodation offers from The Berry View, Supercalla Private Properties and Mt Hay Retreat.
Full program details, performance times, accommodation offers and tickets for Blissed Out! 2 are available at extendtheweekend.berry.org.au.
Berry NSW is proudly funded by the NSW Government through the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner’s Uptown Grant Program. Berry NSW’s Extend the Weekend project also aligns with the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, Destination Sydney Surrounds South’s Destination Management Plan and Shoalhaven Council’s tourism objectives to support longer stays, off-peak visitation and locally-led experiences.
ENDS
Distributed by Lanham Media on behalf of the Berry Chamber of Commerce
Media contacts:
Greg Townley | [email protected] | 0414 195 908
Fleur Townley | [email protected] | 0405 278 758
Available for interview:
- Kate Dezarnaulds, Berry Precinct Coordinator, can speak to the intent of the grant, the results of the series and Berry’s Extend the Weekend initiative.
- Harrison Hall, Holy Pavlova, can speak to the music program and the live music industry.
- Afrodelik artist Immy Owusu can speak about how his Ghanaian heritage and Australian upbringing have shaped his music, and the role of live performance in introducing audiences to different sounds and musical cultures.
- Bede Hunt, Co-Founder and Director, Supercalla Private Properties, can speak to the value of events in encouraging overnight stays and supporting Berry’s visitor economy.
- Other musicians are available on request.
Media Assets available here
