Latest Reads
SydneyMusic Turns 4: Read our submission to the NSW Govt Social Issues Committee
We just closed our annual reader survey, which received 363 responses over 9 days. We’ll be taking a deeper look, but here’s what we sent to the NSW Government.
Some reflections at the end of 2025
In 2025 we listed 6,535 live music events in the gig guide. SydneyMusic.net co-founder and director Joe Hardy shares a news update on how we're doing, along with some thoughts on what we want to do next.
Buy Some Music: BAYANG (tha Bushranger)'s picks for a post-streaming world
This week we’re hearing from Harry Baughan — aka BAYANG (tha Bushranger) — who is one of West Sydney music’s most uncompromising and passionate voices.
SydneyMusic.net is (55.3%) saved
Thanks to an overwhelming response from the community, SydneyMusic has one more chance to secure a sustainable future.
June 2025
We're giving the gig guide a few more weeks
We're moving the shutdown date to the 13th of July. We still don't have any answers, but we want to explore how the organisation's work can live on.
SydneyMusic is shutting down
38 months. Over 16,000 gigs. A lot of wonderful music. SydneyMusic needs to say goodbye, and our final day of operation is June 15, 2025.
May 2025
Isobel Knight's Top 8: Acts to see, envy and more
"Their live shows were this miraculous combination of pub hang with your funniest friends and heart-wrenching punk show."
Hinano Fujisaki's Pick & Mix: Banana ketchup, local labels, and more
"I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of support from the community surrounding Jasper and Lazy Thinking. I felt like I could play in the space freely with no sense of judgement."
Skeleten's Pick & Mix: Anti-gronk punk, nourishing fantasy, and more
"Old school, the whole set filmed on Handicam, I think a pretty new band, great sound, great commitment. I want some more of this in my life, I think."
April 2025
Buy Some Music: Mara's Eora Experimental Picks
"Six releases to carry you from the ethereal to the noise-fluttered earth within Eora Sydney’s experimental scene."
Manfredo Lament's Top 8: Acts they miss, look up to, and more
"Godtet is quintessential Sydney. Ultimately, they are the big brothers of the instrumental Sydney community."
Maia Toakley's Top 8: Acts to see live, steal from, and more
“I feel like I only started being a musician when I found my community, by going to gigs... I just inserted myself into the scene that I wanted to join.”
March 2025
Beat Kitchen's Fernando Benavides picks the best Western Sydney eats and beats
"Super quick service, no line and everything is served on paper plates. The family that runs the joint is always super sweet too."
SAFE BETS: Elliott Armour's Safe Bets for a Swell Time in Sydney
"An unpretentious energy that’s pub-meets-club and an utter mixed bag of patrons that range from washed-up actors to art students’ first nights out."
PICK & MIX: Annabelle Scobie’s fave places to rock out and chill out
"Honestly this gloomy place is such a gem of a setting for any music video or photoshoot. I have used it time and time again and am tempted to gatekeep, but who cares."
SydneyMusic.net Turns 3
It's been a big year, with a lot of changes. How does live music find its place of relevance in a world of economic uncertainty and declining interest in local music?
February 2025
Buy Some Music: Picks From Your Local Record Store
We think you should buy some music, so we asked some cool people with great taste to tell you some music you should buy.
BREAKING: We can finally afford to commission music writing
Do you write about music, performance, creative people, online culture, community building, and/or arts policy? Do it for SydneyMusic.net!
June 2024
The Out-Of-Towners: Jess Ribeiro on the history and mystery of playing in Sydney
David James Young talks to Jess about her range of experiences as an interstate performer in Sydney — from house shows, to Opera House shows. Sort of.
"It's honestly super straightforward": Three of Sydney's hardest gigging acts spill their scandalous Performance Report secrets!
Just kidding. Performance Reports might not be the sexiest topic — but then what's sexier than getting paid for the same gig twice? SydneyMusic's partnered up with APRA to help remind artists to get your PRs in. It's easier than ever.
April 2024
"Believe in your shit!": A Big Chat with Bayang (tha Bushranger)
"You're just sitting there 3am sleep-deprived, a ciggie hanging out of your fucking mouth, listening to this song being like, 'I'm so glad this exists. This didn't exist before we did it. And now it exists.'"
"I'd prefer to play in a library": A Big Chat with Darren Cross
'I had a meeting with these music industry people and they're like, "You know, you should do comedy techno! Like a funny Fat Boy Slim!" And I was like, "You know what? Fuck you. I'm outta here!"'
July 2022
"We drove up the street handing it to people out the window": The Cannanes on how their joke band took them everywhere
From making fantasy gig posters in Chippendale, to being hailed by NME and invited overseas for tours: The Cannanes reflect on their DIY ethos, how Sydney’s changed over the decades, and their experiences with music communities internationally.
"This place would not exist without the audience": Nick Shimmin of the People’s Republic on creating Sydney's most unique house shows
13 years. 120 shows. 1 living room. We caught up with Nick Shimmin of the People's Republic to talk about creating an alternative space for artists and audience to enjoy a shared sense of community.
"The more you invest in the arts, the healthier the scene will become": Kirsty Tickle of Party Dozen on DIY and the dire state of arts funding
In the debut edition of our occasional Q&A feature, Kirsty gives us an intro to the community that Party Dozen came from, some thoughts on what can help our local community thrive more, and the importance of a broken PA in becoming a great performer.
June 2022
"You don't need permission to do it yourself": Nick Ward on the Brockhampton Effect and Sydney's artist-driven future
"We're in this weird, fluid time in Australian music history where I feel like it's really fertile ground for people who have a really strong idea of what they want to do."
Welcome to SydneyMusic.net
Live music in Sydney is still clawing its way back to normalcy after a bruising decade of lockouts and lockdowns — but there's good stuff out there, and this site exists to help you find it.