March 22nd, 2026Palais Hepburn ready to rock!
The big news and rumours of early ’26 have been confirmed with the Palais Hepburn’s opening gigs locked in and tickets available in mid March.
For a town which has had its share of false starts, from an abundance of music venues only 18 months or so ago to next to zero, this is welcome news.
I was lucky enough to view the progress in the weeks leading up to the opening, one of the town’s many recent exciting makeovers.
Palais Hepburn has locked in some great shows for April with tickets now on sale via the events section on its Facebook page.
The first gig is an open night with free live music on Wednesday, April 8. Doors open from 6.30pm with music from 7.30pm – for a chance to try out the new sounds system.
The Palais Hepburn website says: “Given the occasion, we thought we should get one of Australia’s truly legendary drummers to really test everything, so Gil Matthews is bringing his band MRB (The Marty Rose Band) along for a great mix of songs.
“MRB are Gil Matthews on drums (Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs/Mondo Rock/The Party Boys), Pip Joyce on guitar (Glenn Shorrock band/Brian Cadd band/Russell Morris band), Jo Imbrol on bass (John Farnham band/Ian Moss band/Goanna) and Marty Rose on keyboards (Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter band/Olivia Newton-John band).
“And to really help us test the sound, the band is bringing legendary saxophone player Paul Gatcum (Lou Reed band/The Black Sorrows).
“This should give us a good selection of well played instruments to see how it sounds. No tickets needed. MRB will play two sets: 7.30pm to 8.15pm and 8.45pm to 9.30pm.”
Other gigs happening in April are Chocolate Starfish on Saturday, April 11, One Of Those Nights on Sunday, April 12, The Stars (1976-2026) on Friday, April 17, Songs In The Key Of Life: Stevie Wonder Songbook Experience on Friday, April 24 and Normie Rowe & The Original Playboys on Saturday, April 25 (Anzac Day).
“To have Normie Rowe playing on Anzac Day at Hepburn Palais is special. Whilst most people know Normie as Australia’s single biggest pop star during the 1960’s, Normie is also a renowned Vietnam vet who was conscripted into the army at the height of his fame, serving as a trooper and crew commander in the Vietnam War during 1969 with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment.
“This initial announcement of artists is just the tip of what we have planned for 2026, with an array of original artists, country music stars, comedy legends, and musical theatre all just about locked in.”
Words: Darren Lowe | Image: Kyle Barnes
