An award-winning US roots band, a celebrated Australian punk band and a double dose of creative freedom journey to Theatre Royal.
With Rich Moffat now at the helm of the music program for Castlemaine’s arts, music, and entertainment hub, Theatre Royal, the calibre of artists coming into the regional centre is top-tier. Already known for the delivery of premium music to its vibrant cultural community, the Theatre Royal continue to elevate their program offering, securing national and international stars with the end of 2024, and first half of 2025 filling up.
The venue has just announced three newly added shows to their already stacked program.
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Added Shows
Bonny Light Horseman
4 March 2025
Boy what a treat for Castlemaine as US roots band, Bonny Light Horseman jet into town. Over the years, Bonny Light Horseman has accumulated many miles on the collective odometer of life. The band’s core trio – Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson, and Josh Kaufman – has amassed an incomparable collected resume. Mitchell is a celebrated solo artist as well as the playwright and songwriter behind the hit Broadway musical Hadestown, which notched eight Tony Awards and a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. Johnson is best known as the mind behind beloved indie mainstays Fruit Bats, as a long-time collaborator with The Shins, and as a film score composer. And Kaufman is a multi-hyphenate extraordinaire: songwriter, producer, and position player, having recorded and performed with artists ranging from Bob Weir to The War on Drugs to Taylor Swift, Hiss Golden Messenger and The Hold Steady. As a group, Bonny Light Horseman’s debut album received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album, and the track “Deep in Love” was nominated for Best American Roots Performance. Celebrating their new album Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, Bonny Light Horseman are expected to wow!
DZ Deathrays
1 March 2025
A stop in on their just announced national regional tour, Weekend Warriors, DZ Deathrays celebrate their forthcoming album with their latest single ‘First Night Fever’ circling the airwaves. In their first dedicated regional tour since 2019, and following this years Black Rat anniversary tour, DZ Deathrays hit up 25 towns. Along for the ride are legends of punk, rock and electronic; Drunk Mums and Mannequin Death Squad.
AURUS + Cool Out Sun
20 December 2024
This double bill comes in just before Christmas in a celebration of sound. Cool Out Sun is a creative project composed of the superpowers that are N’fa Jones, Sensible J, with Nui Moon, Lamine Sonko, and friends displaying the groups creative diversity and freedom with beats provocative, lyrics powerfully imaginative, and culture shared in song. They share the stage with AURUS. After the transgressive polyphony of his last project 3SOMESISTERS, AURUS aka Bastien Picot evokes the « Maloya » of his roots (traditional music from Réunion Island) in an orchestral Pop and percussive shell, at the crossroads of James Blake, Peter Gabriel or Woodkid.
The rest of 2024 sees Theatre Royal’s program coloured with national and international gems including legacy shows with the Buzzcocks and Modern English on 4 November, The Saints ’73 – ’78 reunion on 15 November and a double double of 90’s nostalgia with Custard and The Fauves on 24 November.
Theatre Royal Castlemaine also joins the impressive ALWAYS Live program as a host venue, with shows from Sarah Blasko, who will be launching her seventh studio album I Just Need To Conquer This Mountain (out today) and Canada’s Andy Shauf performing a solo show.
Heading into 2025, the excitement continues with the year starting strong thanks to a DJ set from Hot Chip on 2 January, Australian rock royalty Mark Seymour and the Undertow hitting in on 10 January, and the premiere of new super group The Hard Quartet on 24 January. Adam Harvey, Bic Runga, The Butterfly Effect, John Waters, and 10CC have performances also set throughout the 2025 calendar year at the historic Theatre Royal venue.
Theatre Royal Castlemaine Full Program
- The Elvis Big Band – 2 November
- Ben & Ian from Gomez – 3 November
- Buzzcocks and Modern English – 4 November
- Lisa Mitchell – 9 November
- The Saints ’73 – ’78 – 15 November
- Blues Guitar Roadshow – 23 November
- Custard + The Fauves – 24 November
- Buena Vista Social Club Tribute – 30 November
- Sarah Blasko – 5 December
- Andy Shauf – 6 December
- Thirsty Merc – 7 December
- The Jungle Giants – 13 December
- Hot Chip DJs – 2 January
- Mark Seymour & The Undertow – 10 January
- The Hard Quartet – 24 January
- Adam Harvey – 7 February
- Reputation: The Ultimate Tayor Swift Show – 9 February
- Bic Runga – 15 February
- The Butterfly Effect – 6 March
- Ruthie Foster – 14 March
- John Waters – Radio Luxemburg – 15 March
- The Black Sorrows – 30 March
- 10CC – 30 July
To secure tickets to any of the announced shows, or to keep up to date with the evolving Theatre Royal Castlemaine program, head here.
