THE Station will host a free music festival on April 4 as part of the Newcastle Live Music Taskforce's commitment to re-energise the entertainment industry in the CBD.
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Sound Station Music & Arts Festival will feature an all-Novocastrian line-up across two stages from the past and present headlined by indie-punk duo The Gooch Palms.
Other contemporary acts include Grace Turner, Eat Your Heart Out, Glovers Lane, Kookshill and Boycott.
While Newcastle's history as a live music mecca will be celebrated with performances from Jets Play Jets, DV8, The Porkers, Brien McVernon and the Rockets from Oz, Cornstalk and Amy Vee.
The festival will run from 12pm to 10pm and will include food trucks, pop-up bars and art exhibitions.
There is no cost to attend, but a free ticket is required for entry through stickytickets.com.au.
The launch of a free festival was a key recommendation from the Newcastle Live Music Taskforce, which was established in April 2018 by a variety of concerned stakeholders, such as promoters, venue owners, musicians and politicians to safeguard the future of the industry.
The taskforce believes the rapid growth of high-rise residential development near music venues and the subsequent escalation of noise complaints threatens the viability of the night-time economy.
"We have a vision and that's to make Newcastle's night-time economy thrive with live music in the city again," Newcastle state MP and Live Music Taskforce chairman Tim Crakanthorp said.
The Station, the site of the old Newcastle Train Station, has hosted several music and arts events since its redevelopment into a community space in September 2018. But Sound Station will be its biggest music event to date.
"It's a great opportunity to showcase The Station," Mr Crakanthorp said. "This is what the government has been wanting to do for some time, to get this space well and truly activated.
"This will hopefully attract a lot of people into the city, and businesses in the day and night-time economy need people getting back into the CBD."
The City of Newcastle are the major sponsors of the event, contributing $43,000 from their Special Business Rates Levy grant program.
While a host of other local sponsors, including the Newcastle Herald, have also jumped on board.
"City of Newcastle strongly recognises the role that live music plays in contributing to a diverse night-time economy and the employment opportunities and place activation that a vibrant live music scene can create," lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
"That's why we are proud to support the Sound Station Music Festival under our special business rate funding policy."