Australia’s Mushroom Events has revealed it posted its biggest-ever year in 2023 as its parent company celebrated its 50th anniversary.
The Melbourne-based event and booking specialist, which is part of the Mushroom Group, was established in 2010 and services major sports and corporate events.
It delivered more than 110 events across the country last year, booking over 190 artists such as Kiss, Tones And I, G Flip, The Veronicas, Amy Shark, Dan Sultan and Client Liaison. Clients include the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Football League and the Melbourne Cup Carnival, as well as a number of charity fundraisers.
“There’s nothing Australians like more than sport and live music,” Mushroom Events project director Anna Toman tells The Music Network. “Live music builds on the fan experience by adding excitement and energy to an event. The right artist at the right event can create a truly unforgettable experience.
“There is a huge appetite to incorporate live music at events, which is fantastic because it gives emerging talent an opportunity to showcase their music. On top of that, a lot of these opportunities also include a broadcast moment, which has incredible promotional value for new artists.”
Mushroom Group’s 50th anniversary celebrations included the Mushroom 50 Live concert, held at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena last November. The night brought together dozens of domestic artists, including DMA’s, The Temper Trap, Amy Shark, Jimmy Barnes, Kate Ceberano, Birds of Tokyo and The Teskey Brothers, to perform 50 songs for 50 years.
Other highlights included a documentary on the life and career of legendary Frontier Touring/Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski, who died in 2021, as well as the release of limited edition merchandise and new recordings of iconic Mushroom Records singles, culminating in a Mushroom 50 album.
“The core of Mushroom is to invest in supporting Australian talent and to take it to the world”
“To survive 50 years as an independent music entertainment company is something we’re extremely proud of,” Mushroom Records CEO Matt Gudinski, son of Michael, told Billboard last month. “We’ve tried to celebrate not only the history of the company, but the future.”
Michael Gudinski’s formed Mushroom Records and Mushroom Music Publishing in Melbourne in 1972, while Frontier Touring, founded in 1979, has worked with artists including Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Paul McCartney and Foo Fighters. It merged with AEG Presents in 2019.
“The core of Mushroom is to invest in supporting Australian talent and to take it to the world,” added Matt. “My dad was big on the saying of being a leader, not a follower. We’ve continued to evolve and adapt; it’s why we sit here with so many different business arms to the Mushroom Group, because we’re not reliant on one.
“[We’ve been] able to continually evolve and ensure that we’re looking for the next thing, not the current thing. And investing in great people and other great entrepreneurs has really allowed us to stay successful over such a long period of time.”
Matt Gudinski, who joined the firm aged 17 in 2003 and took over as CEO following his father’s sudden passing, also discussed how Michael had prepared him for the role.
“It’s all about reputation in our business,” he said. “He just instilled into me those key fundamentals: how to ensure that the business moves forward and all the foundations that he’d laid go on for a long time. Mushroom’s success is really down to amazing people, great artists, loyalty and strong overall values.”
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