The Outback Music Festival Group have announced a second John Williamson Big Red Sunset Concert, with the iconic singer songwriter now set to perform two sunset gigs in the Simpson Desert on in early July.
The limited release of tickets for the second John Williamson Big Red Sunset Concert are on-sale next Wednesday, 5 February at 10am AEDT along with tickets to the previously announced show.
The two bucket list concerts will see John Williamson perform the sunset gigs in the Simpson Desert, giving fans the opportunity to reconnect with the roots of the Birdsville Big Red Bash while the event takes a breather in 2025.
As announced late last year, the first of the throw-back concerts will take place on Tuesday 8 July on top of the 40-metre-high Big Red sand dune, 12 years to the day since John Williamson first performed there in 2013 – a seminal show that heralded the beginning of the iconic Big Red Bash events.
The second concert that has been announced today, will be staged the following night on Wednesday July 9th, 2025.
“It’s an honour for me to be chosen as the only artist to perform on the Big Red sand dune at Birdsville in July,” Williamson said.
“I remember at the beginning in 2013, when I performed for the competitors and volunteers on top of the dune after the first charity run Greg Donovan organised out there. It was a magical night. The sound is perfect on sand as there are no hard surfaces for my songs to bounce off. It will be a true campfire outback setting that is ideal for my Aussie songs. And a perfect celebration as part of my 55 years in the business.”
“The Big Red Sunset concert will carry the spirit of this beloved and iconic festival through 2025 while also putting the breathtaking beauty of Outback Queensland on full display, all while supporting local tourism and the regional economy until the full event returns in 2026,” Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation minister Andrew Powell said.
Tickets are $235 for adults, under 18 are $150 and a camping vehicle pass is $65 per vehicle per night. Day parking for those opting to travel out to Big Red from Birdsville is free.
With more than 3,000 people already registering their interest, tickets to the limited-edition John Williamson Big Red Sunset concerts are expected to sell fast. Tickets will be sold separately to each concert, with numbers limited by the more intimate performance space on top of Big Red, and by limited camping infrastructure – and to allow easy roll in and roll out for each gig.
“We’re thrilled our fans are as excited as us about these one-off shows. It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time – taking us right back to where and how it all began. We were overwhelmed with the response when we announced the first concert last year, and are even more excited now to be able to double the opportunity to be part of this never to be repeated experience. The second concert will also mean twice the number of people coming through Outback Queensland, which is also a great result for businesses who rely on Bash travellers each year,” said Greg Donovan, Founder and organiser of the Birdsville Big Red Bash and Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash, and Managing Director of the Outback Music Festival Group.
The Simpson Desert location of the intimate gigs will provide a spectacular backdrop for John Williamson’s legendary storytelling, delivering a magical evening that celebrates Australian spirit in the heart of the Outback.
Tickets for these special events will be strictly limited given the restricted space on top of Big Red.
The John Williamson Big Red Sunset Concerts are proudly supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland.
What: The John Williamson Big Red Sunset Concert
Where: Big Red sand dune, 35 km West of Birdsville
When: 8 and 9 July, 2025
Tickets: On-sale from 10.00am AEDT on Wednesday, 5 February
More info: www.bigredbash.com.au/john-williamson-big-red-sunset-concert-2025.
In 2025 John will also celebrate 55 years in the industry with a national tour: 55 YEARS – My Travellin’ Days are Done. For dates and details on his national tour go to www.johnwilliamson.com.au
