Hot on the heels of Brisbane’s Music and Arts Festival announcement, the Darwin equivalent has just released the first details of their music lineup.

Held over 18 hot days and nights in the Northern Territory’s capital city, the Darwin Festival is an arts and culture explosion of quality, diversity and innovative programming; and this year’s musical lineup has just been announced, bursting with an eclectic mix of local, national and international acts

Leading the local pack is WASHINGTON, joining KATE MILLER-HEIDKE for a double bill at the George Brown Amphitheatre at the Darwin Botanic Gardens, joined by a bill that includes the beguiling rockabilly of LANIE LANE, the rollicking GRAVEYARD TRAIN, indie upstarts LAST DINOSAURS, rock mavericks WOLF & CUB, while hip hop outfit HERMITUDE lend some funky clout.

Kicking off the Festival will be the Santos Opening Night Concert, a free entry event featuring some rising stars THE MEDICS and SAN CISCO, as well NT’s own NARBALEK. While other acts scheduled to appear include indie favourites TIN PAN ORANGE, local country legend and NT Song of the Year Winner DAVID GARNHAM and The Reasons to Live (with a 20-strong bearded man choir); Tiwi Island’s own boy band B2M, and iconic country music star KENNY ROGERS, in a special one-night only, 3 hr long performance.

Following on from the success of last year’s Backyards Unplugged gigs, which saw exclusive performances in backyards all over Darwin, for the 2012 calendar; they take this concept to the city’s most recent arrivals at the Darwin Airport Lodge Detention Centre for them to enjoy the sounds of DAVID GARNHAM and members of the Black Arm Band, while on the bill at Bagot Community is B2M and YOUNG GUNS and another backyard will host iconic Aussie and ex-MEN AT WORK frontman COLIN HAY.

Being an arts and culture festival, there’s a wealth of entertainment and performances to enjoy outside your traditional music gigs as well, with a program full of performance art, cabaret, theatre and much more.

DARWIN FESTIVAL 2012 // MUSIC LINEUP

Washington & Kate Miller Heidke
Lanie Lane
Kenny Rogers
San Cisco
The Medics
Narbalek
Wolf & Cub
Graveyard Train
Last Dinosaurs
David Garnham & the Reasons to Live
Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rockettes
Tinpan Orange
Colin Hay
Hermitude
Nicky Bomba’s Bustamento
Holly Throsby presents SEE!
B2M
Ngaiire
The Black Arm Band
Shellie Morris and the Yanyuwa Songwomen
The Ukeladies and the Dukes
Jácam Manricks Trio with Jigsaw Collective
Trevor Ashley is Liza [on an E]
Songs from Stone Country
Tripod
Operation Big Bands
Darwin All Stars
Happy Yess
Festival Club Djs

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