Imagine Aussie music legends playing an exclusive floating gig for 100 national heroes at the world’s biggest coral reef – that’s exactly what went down at the Great Barrier Reef this weekend. Dubbed Savannah Sounds on the Reef, this intimate concert was staged by Tropical North Queensland’s largest country music festival, Savannah in the Round, to thank Aussies who lent a hand in post-Cyclone Jasper recovery efforts.
The national heroes – who either helped in cyclone, flood and fire clean-ups, or are long-standing environmental volunteers – were nominated by their local community to attend the special live gig, which happens to be the first-ever live concert staged on the outer Great Barrier Reef. Among these heroes was Craig Thornton who has raised more than $1.6 million for the Surfers Paradise SLSC over the past 15 years and is a driving force behind the disabled beach access program on Surfers Paradise Beach.
On board, the heroes soaked in the technicolour marvels of the World Heritage-listed reef with snorkelling, glass-bottom boat rides and marine conservation sessions, before rocking out to a three-hour concert by four awesome Aussie acts. That included Brisbane-born indie band Sheppard, the legendary Lee Kernaghan, rising country music star Max Jackson and electronic duo Kairos Kin. Following the concert, it was also announced that these Aussie music stars would join multi-platinum American country star Kip Moore, The Living End, Hoodoo Gurus and Jon Stevens, as the final headline acts at Savannah in the Round later this year.
If you’re keen to party on the edge of the reef and the rainforest at Savannah in the Round, then mark your calendars for October 11–13. As always, the three-day rodeo will go down in Mareeba, just an hour’s drive west of Cairns. The best part? After a boogie, you can crash at the camping grounds post-festival, with everything from DIY swap set-ups to luxury to deluxe glamping experiences.
You can find out more about Savannah in the Round and purchase festival tickets here.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Australia newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.
RECOMMENDED: