Entertainment
5 April, 2024
Reef concert to honour cyclone heroes
COUNTRY is taking over the seas with a once-in-a lifetime concert aimed at honouring the unsung heroes of our community - Savannah Sounds on the Reef - on the Great Barrier Reef later this month.
For a first in Australian music history, the organisers of the fast-growing Savannah in the Round - Sound Australia - are bringing an impressive lineup of country stars to the Great Barrier Reef for a tribute concert for 100 FNQ heroes involved in the community after Cyclone Jasper.
The new Savannah Sounds on the Reef, organised by Sound Australia in collaboration with Reef Magic and supported by the federal and state governments, involves high-profile artists like Lee Kernaghan, Sheppard, Max Jackson and acclaimed Indigenous band Kairos Kin performing on Reef Magic’s floating pontoon for 100 local heroes nominated by the community.
“The concert will be limited to community heroes, you have to nominate your community heroes, the person you think is worthy of a ticket, there’s only 100 tickets available,” said organiser James Dein.
“Savannah Sounds on the Reef is a whole different ball game. We’ve been talking about holding a concert in the Great Barrier Reef for about five years,” he said.
“We’ve got everything planned within an inch of its life and we’ve just got to look out for the weather.
“We have another dozen artists to announce but we’ll announce them closer to the date.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen the event wasn’t about profits but about celebrating the resilience of the community and highlighting the Reef.
“It’s been a really tough couple of months for the community and the tourism industry, and Savannah Sounds on the Reef will be an event to recognise our community heroes, to recognise the resilience of the people in our region, and to get out to one of the most unique places our Great Barrier Reef,” he said.
“This is a one-of-a-kind event to celebrate our heroes making a difference in our community.”
Country legend Lee Kernaghan said he was excited to play on the Reef.
“I think I’ve played just about everywhere in Australia but never on the Great Barrier Reef. It’ll be a first for me,” he said.
“This will be one for the memory, to play in front of the legends of the local community and to shake their hands and say thank you it’s what it is all about.”
The event is on April 27. Nominations for Savannah Sounds on the Reef are now open and will close on April 19. To nominate a local hero, visit https://savannahintheround.com.au
