Australia’s heavy music community is preparing to make some serious noise for one of its most important grassroots institutions.
Blacken Forever will see more than 30 heavy bands perform across six Australian cities on Saturday, September 12th, as part of a nationwide push to save The Black Wreath in Alice Springs.
The event will mark the final day of a crowdfunding campaign aimed at raising $1 million to secure the future of the Central Australian music hub, which is currently at risk of shutting down after the property was listed for sale.
Blacken Forever will take place simultaneously in the Northern Territory, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland on Saturday, September 12th.
Find out more here.
Over a decade of building
The Black Wreath has spent more than a decade building a music community in one of Australia’s most isolated regions. Founded in 2011, the organisation began with a backyard studio built from scrap before growing into a warehouse-based creative space featuring rehearsal rooms, a recording studio and indoor and outdoor performance spaces.
It has since become a vital home for musicians in Central Australia, particularly heavy bands that have historically had limited access to recording facilities, rehearsal spaces, dedicated venues and touring opportunities.
According to the campaign, the venue has hosted more than 400 artists from 10 countries over the past year alone, while helping connect regional Australian musicians with audiences around the country.
The campaign is now attempting to follow the example of other Australian community-led venue saves, with the goal of purchasing the property and placing it into a trust to protect it for future generations.
Supporters can contribute through pre-sales for the upcoming Blacken Trilogy of festivals, as well as lifetime memberships and exclusive merchandise.
Save the dates
The festival trilogy includes Blacken Open Air: SOLAR, celebrating the festival’s 10th anniversary from April 30th to May 3rd, 2027, Blacken Open Air: LUNAR in Victoria over New Year’s Eve 2027/28, and Blacken Open Air: ECLIPSE, running July 20th-24th, 2028 beneath the Great Australasian Total Solar Eclipse.
The fundraising campaign is also offering a limited number of special releases and merchandise, including vinyl from Blacken Open Air and Earthless’ live performance at Uluru.
The ultimate target is 1,000 lifetime memberships at $1,000 each. The campaign says 355 memberships had been secured at the time of the announcement, leaving 645 to go.
Now, bands and fans from across Australia are being called upon to rally behind the venue.
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