Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds will play Hanging Rock on 13 March 2027, promoters confirmed Tuesday, reviving an outdoor calendar slot that last hosted major rock acts before bushfire smoke and pandemic restrictions emptied the Macedon Ranges natural amphitheatre.
Production and access
Live Nation Australia said capacity would be capped below the geological bowl’s theoretical maximum to protect the reserve’s grassland regeneration zones, with shuttles from Macedon and Woodend stations replacing on-site parking for most ticket holders. Cave’s production team requested a stripped-back stage footprint compared with 2019’s Leonard Cohen tribute scale, emphasising acoustics toward the rock formation rather than LED walls.
Artist context
The Bad Seeds are touring behind last year’s studio album cycle and recently completed a run of seated shows at Hamer Hall; Hanging Rock returns Cave to the standing-rock format he favours for deep-catalogue sets. Support acts will be announced in November, with organisers pledging at least one Victorian First Nations performer on the bill per council cultural protocols.
Ticket registration opens 17 October via the official Nick Cave mailing list, with a general on-sale the following week. Dynamic pricing will apply on premium front-bowl rows, but organisers promised a sub-$180 standard adult tier to blunt cost-of-living criticism that dogged other stadium tours this year.
Community conditions
Macedon Ranges Shire will police noise curfews at 10:30 pm and require compostable cup mandates for vendors. Environmental groups that protested 2018 expansions said they will monitor creek runoff tests published after the event, a condition attached to the renewed events licence.
For fans outside Victoria, the Hanging Rock date anchors an eastern states mini-run before Cave heads to New Zealand. Accommodation platforms already show elevated prices for the second weekend of March, suggesting demand will mirror the rapid sell-outs of his 2024 arena tour.
Regional rail operator V/Line said it would add late-night services from Southern Cross on concert night, addressing criticism after previous events left thousands waiting on Mount Macedon Road. Camping on the reserve itself remains banned, with rangers patrolling overnight to protect cultural heritage sites tied to the Joan Lindsay legend.
Promoters will publish a sustainability report within 30 days of the show, detailing waste diversion and diesel generator hours, a condition Macedon Ranges councillors added after community consultation in August.
International fans can combine the Hanging Rock date with Melbourne arena shows expected to be announced later in October.