It’s summertime and you know you can't go wrong with some picnic blankets, antipasto snacks, and live music. Bonus points if there's a sunset and a harbour view involved.
Sunset Sessions, Cockatoo Island's family-friendly outdoor gig series, is back and running from January 13 to April 6. A pair of homegrown performers will be playing on the lawn of the Biloela House every Saturday evening, where there will be grazing boxes and refreshments aplenty.
There's a broad range of talents to take in, with artists hailing from all over Australia, and many of them belonging to the First Nations and LGBTQIA+ communities. If you’re ready for a mellow evening, explore the heartfelt ballads of Mi-kaisha and Georgia Mulligan, or the R'n'B suave of Ruby Jackson, Anieszska, Betty and Sunny Reyne. If you’re after a funkier indie atmosphere, you can see Euan Hart and Caitlin Harnett, or the good-vibe pop of Gem Cassar-Daley. For some twangy folk vibrations, come for Leah Senior, Ned Olive, and Babe Rollins.
You can catch Sunset Sessions on Saturdays from 5.30pm, but get there early when the gates open at 5pm* to soak in the atmosphere. Tickets are $35, and children under 12 can attend for free. If you find yourself wanting more of Cockatoo Island’s out-of-this-world views, you can turn your Sunset Session into a sunrise by booking a night at the island’s heritage listed lodgings or the waterfront campground.
*For the final three shows of the season (March 23, March 30, and April 6) doors will open at 4pm with the first performer hitting the stage at 4.30pm.