It has been a bad decade to be a live music fan in Canberra, with a series of major music festival cancellations since COVID-19.
But things might be about to change.
Canberra's newest music festival AfterHours, a one-off event held at the Australian National University's Chifley Meadows on Saturday, October 17, offers a new opportunity to see Australian talent in the capital.
Organised by Canberra band member Dylan Adams and president of the ANU Students Association (ANUSA) Charley Ellwood, the AfterHours line-up includes homegrown Canberra talents Genesis Owusu and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers.
Australian acts Rum Jungle and Chloe Parché will also perform along with Mr Adams' band and winners of the university's band competition earlier this year, Lamb Legz.
"It's been incredible to see the feedback from music fans," said Mr Ellwood.
"We got so many messages saying things like, 'how the f--k did you get Genesis Owusu?' This is a lot bigger than people were expecting."
The ANU is supporting the festival as part of its 80th anniversary celebrations.
Interim ANU vice-chancellor Rebekah Brown hopes it "brings students, staff, alumni and the wider Canberra community together to celebrate through live music".
For Mr Adams, who is also a ANUSA committee member, appearing on a line-up with such big names is "a bit of a pinch in the arm moment".
"It's not very common that young local musicians ever make it that far in music," he said.
"The music business is an incredibly demanding and incredibly competitive industry, especially when you're in a place like Canberra."
In 2024, Canberra's two biggest one-day festivals, Spilt Milk and Groovin the Moo, were canned. Though Spilt Milk will be back in December 2026, Groovin the Moo has not returned to Canberra.
Other major Australian music festivals have also been called off, including touring event Falls Festival, and Byron's Bluesfest and Splendour in the Grass festivals.
Canberra music fans felt the loss of the festivals in the capital keenly.
Billy Fuller, a 22-year-old Campbell resident, last went to a live music festival in 2023. It was the last iteration of Groovin the Moo at Exhibition Park.
"It used to be so exciting," he said. "I haven't really been to any other gigs besides Groovin [the Moo] in Canberra."
"Now it feels like you have to travel outside of the ACT to see live music at a festival."
Mr Ellwood feels that young people have been missing out on the live experience in Canberra.
"These festivals were so good partially because they don't go to Sydney or Brisbane, they tour to more regional places where artists would never tour themselves," he said.
"When they get cancelled, it's a real punch in the gut to Canberrans."
Early-bird tickets to AfterHours are on sale now for $90, with discounted tickets available for students of all high schools and universities.
Asked if AfterHours will return next year, Mr Ellwood hesitated.
"These gigs are hugely expensive to run, that's why we needed the help of the university to run it this year. That's why the other festivals shut down.
"But I am hopeful that gigs like this continue. We always need more opportunities for live music."
