Entertainment
21 May, 2025
Music to ears of Port town
A MUSIC festival in the Douglas Shire has been a long time coming, so Savannah Sounds, running over three days during this year’s Port Douglas Carnivale, is being more than welcomed by both locals and visitors.
Most regional communities would be more than happy with one or two headline acts, but thanks to renowned Savannah In The Round director James Dein, the new addition to Carnivale will host many well-known artists.
Running over the Carnivale weekend, at Rex Smeal Park, from Friday, May 23 to Sunday May 25, the event will support regional, national and international artists and DJs, both old and new, from country music to techno through to traditional Aussie pop and rock.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to deliver Savannah Sounds Port Douglas as part of Carnivale,” Mr Dein said.
“Having incredible artists like Glenn Shorrock, Sheppard, The Black Sorrows, The Wolfe Brothers, Max Jackson and many more, alongside DJ powerhouses Andy Van and Zoë Badwi, makes this a standout celebration of Australian music,” he said.
“With the tropical beauty of Port Douglas as the backdrop, it’s set to be an unforgettable weekend for music lovers from near and far.”
Day one (Friday May, 23) will include Australian disc jockey and record producer Andy Van, half of Maddison Avenue, best known for the UK chart topping hit ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’.
“I’ll be playing tracks from the ‘90s right through to current day music, so the weekend will bring a great dance element, plus some fantastic great rock and pop artists to the stage as well,” he said.
Friday’s line will also include Melbourne Artist Zoe Badwi known for tracks such as ‘Freefallin’.
Day 2 (Saturday May, 24) will include New Zealand-born, Australian-based DJ, producer and remixer, Jolyon Petch, best known for his singles ‘Holding On’ and ‘Dreams’.
“I came up to Port Douglas for my 40th Birthday but didn’t get a chance to DJ,” Mr Petch said.
“When the opportunity came up to headline the main stage for Carnivale, I said definitely put me down,” he said.
Headlining the night will be indie-pop chartoppers band Sheppard playing hits like Geronimo, plus tracks from their new album Zora.
Amy Sheppard is looking forward to performing in the Tropics saying, “you don’t want to miss this one with so many great acts. It will be a great weekend”.
Sunday will see the final acts on stage, including veteran singer and song writer Glenn Shorrock.
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