The inaugural Now & Forever festival is happening at Shepparton Showgrounds, Yorta Yorta Woka, from 2pm till 9pm on Friday, 6th October. The festival is rallying support for the “Yes” vote in the 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum. The referendum looks to change the Constitution by establishing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, thereby recognising the First Peoples of Australia.
The event’s First Nations-led lineup includes A.B. Original, Mo’Ju, Emma Donovan, BARKAA, Baker Boy and Jess Hitchcock, as well as non-Indigenous musicians Hilltop Hoods, Vince the Kid, Paul Kelly, Jimmy Barnes and Mahalia Barnes. A.B Original – the project of Ngarrindjeri man trials and Yorta Yorta man Briggs – released the referendum anthem ‘Yes’ in the lead-up to the event.
A.B. Original – ‘Yes’
Briggs has been a prominent advocate for the “Yes” vote in recent weeks. The rapper told The Guardian, “I feel like my position is not so much about what we manage to gain from yes as much as it is [about] what we could possibly lose from no.”
Kelly and Barnes have been criticised by their ageing fanbases for their repeated endorsements of the “Yes” vote. But neither musician has any interest in keeping his mouth shut. “To separate politics and music is like separating love and music. It’s about what you feel, what you’re passionate about,” Barnes told The Guardian. “People can say what they like about me, but I’m always going to stick up for what I believe in.”
“I am not telling anyone how to vote but simply letting people know my thoughts,” Kelly said in a statement last week. “I believe that we who disagree with each other are much closer than we think. We all want the same thing. A country we can be proud of, where everybody has equal opportunities to lead a rich and fulfilling life. To me, saying Yes is our best chance yet to start making this happen.”
Now & Forever 2023 – Set Times
Hosted by Sam Pang
- 2:30 pm – 2:55 pm: Vince the Kid
- 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Mo’Ju
- 3:40 pm – 4:10 pm: BARKAA
- 4:20 pm – 4:50 pm: Emma Donovan
- 5:05 pm – 5:35 pm: Baker Boy
- 5:50 pm – 6:20 pm: Paul Kelly with Jess Hitchcock
- 6:30 pm – 7:00 pm: Jimmy Barnes & Mahalia Barnes
- 7:10 pm – 7:40 pm: A.B. Original
- 8:00 pm – 8:45 pm: Hilltop Hoods
Date & Venue
- Friday, 6th October – Shepparton Showgrounds, Yorta Yorta Woka VIC
Tickets on sale now
Further Reading
A.B. Original Release New Single ‘Yes’ – “No Voice, No Choice”
Midnight Oil Launch Radio Ad Targeting Voice “Bullshit Scare Campaigns”
Paul Kelly Says He’s Not Being Paid By the Yes Campaign: “My Views Are My Own”
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