For many Australian millennials, music festivals were a rite of passage—where stories of epic mosh pits and questionable portaloos became lifelong memories. But for many teenagers in Western Australia’s South West, this tradition had never materialised—until now.
On Saturday, young music lovers from across the region gathered at Busselton Foreshore for triple j’s One Night Stand, marking the first major festival experience for many, including a group of friends from Bunbury.
“I love it, it’s a vibe,” said 15-year-old Lily Martindale.
“It’s really great. We usually miss out,” added Ruby Maratea, also 15.
Festivals Return After Years of Cancellations
The youth of the South West have faced years of disappointment with cancelled events—most notably Groovin the Moo and newcomer You & Me, which both withdrew last year.
But on Saturday night, the all-ages One Night Stand brought live music back to the region, featuring headline acts Spacey Jane from Perth and Ruby Fields from New South Wales.
“There’s a huge appetite for live music in regional areas,” said triple j head Lachlan Macara, who confirmed that all 15,000 tickets sold out in under six hours, a record for the event.
Still, he acknowledged the bigger challenge is keeping that momentum going after the stage is packed up.
Local Teens Take Centre Stage Behind the Scenes
To help maintain that momentum, eight teenagers from the South West were chosen by youth music organisation The Push to receive hands-on training in the music industry, from audio engineering and video production to social media and radio broadcasting.
“We want to build the next generation of live music audiences,” said The Push CEO Kate Duncan, who praised the teens’ growth throughout the program.
15-year-old Lachie Cole from Dunsborough said the experience sparked a new passion.
“I’ve learnt so much about how these huge events come together,” he said.
“A lot of people don’t realise how much teamwork is involved.”
Riley Morrant, 17, said the festival was not only his first-ever music event, but also his first chance to work behind the scenes.
“I’d done some theatre volunteering before, but this is on a whole other level.”
With support from The Push and the City of Busselton, the teens are now planning their own music event.
Platform for Local Talent
The festival also gave the stage to local artists, with Busselton band Fool Nelson opening the show after winning triple j’s Unearthed competition.
Lead singer and guitarist Tom Broadbent described it as the band’s biggest gig yet and said they were committed to helping local talent grow.
“If we’re doing a show here, we want to support other local bands and give them gigs too.”
The Push for Continued Support
Molly McKenna, 20, an emerging Bunbury musician and organiser, has been creating live music opportunities in the region for years, including one of the few recurring all-ages events, Ruckus.
Despite her efforts, she said the challenges of organising events—especially funding and red tape—are significant.
“No one really wants to risk time or money on something that grows slowly,” she said.
McKenna appeared on a panel hosted by triple j in the lead-up to the festival and called for greater investment and trust in young people to shape the future of their local music scenes.
Government Investment and Ongoing Challenges
The West Australian government contributed $60,000 to The Push’s industry training initiative, but WA Minister for Creative Industries Simone McGurk admitted more support is needed.
“It’s really tough to make these events economically viable in smaller towns,” she said.
“But we want to encourage people to go to live music gigs.”
For the teens who got a taste of the industry and the fans who danced under the stars for the first time, One Night Stand may have done more than deliver a great night out—it could be the start of a new chapter in South West Australia’s music scene.
