Nymagee Outback Music Festival, October Long Weekend

The Mallee Hen Cooperation became incorporated as a non-profit company before our first Nymagee Outback Music Festival in ‘99. Their aims are to promote art & culture, tourism and community services for the Nymagee District. In the language of the local aboriginal tribe Nymagee means, “small plain surrounded by hills”.

Nymagee is located right in the centre of NSW. Distances from Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane are all seven to eight hundred kms (so fairly close in Aussie terms). The New Kidman Way is 33kms to west and takes you to our nearest shopping town, Cobar. Although they are isolated, visitors, locals and wildlife value the peaceful “village charm”.

The Nymagee Festival has brought music, theatre and culture to the region and provided an event that the whole community embraces with enjoyment and enthusiasm. Visitors come from all over Europe, Asia and Mexico for the sounds of a quality bush band and often end up staying for many months. Friendly people, a relaxed lifestyle, fresh air, a colourful history, live music, awesome sunsets, full starry skies, an abundance of wildlife and lively banter (Aussie talk) at the local pub all help revitalise a city stressed spirit.

The festival has four stages. Two feature a variety of music from well known bands, a third for emerging and youth music and a fourth stage highlights theatre and workshops for sharing ideas, learning new skills, making friends, having fun! There are food and merchandise stalls, arts, crafts and swimming in the yabby tank with stages surrounding. Most people camp on site, including the artists who perform during the festival. There are camping sites for families, with a separate section for youth.

The festival has highlighted Local Heritage, the Outback and showcased Australian Bush Music with the next feature for this years festival being ‘Comedy and Culture’. There are many solo and group artists entertaining throughout the festival including The Bushwacker Band, The Re-Mains, Felicity, Reg Poole, Spirogyra, Doctor De Ath, The Blind Paddy Melons, Brentan Williams and many, many more talented and passionate musicians.

So you are invited to make the trip out for the October Long Weekend next year. Either bring your swag or campervan, or book early to stay at the pub, or at the new farm-stays and village accommodation. You can relax under a tree, drink a cold beer and yarn as the music and celebrative atmosphere drifts across the Nymagee Festival Lake. See you there with your dancing boots!

Children 3 and under are free to enter and concessions must hold a pension or student card or be 16 or under and accompanied by an adult. Single tickets for the full festival are 40 Aussie dollars, while one day will cost you 30 Aussie dollars There are also family and group specials available For more info and where to buy tickets check out their site at For more info on the Nymagee Festival click here