Gig Guide: there are some mind-blowing music events happening in Victoria this month.

It's already been a big week of gigs and it just keeps getting bigger!

Regional venues are nabbing huge names this month on the gig front. From global superstars, tastemakers, the next big things, and your local legends, the calendar is chockers this month with live music well and truly alive.

Here are some of the highlights of the gigging calendar.

Keep connected to your live music scene here.

Tones And I

When: THU 9 OCT

Where: Barwon Heads Hotel, Barwon Heads

Supports: Tia

Tones And I makes her highly-anticipated return from overseas with a selection of all-ages acoustic shows. The multi-award winning, record-breaking artist will play an intimate set of her biggest catalogue hits from Welcome to the Madhouse and Beautifully Ordinary, including ‘Dance Monkey’, ‘Never Seen The Rain’, ‘Dance With Me’, ‘Fly Away’, ‘Cloudy Day’, and most recent single ‘HIDEAWAY’. Join Tones in her next era. 

Nikki Lane

When: FRI 10 OCT

Where; Theatre Royal, Castlemaine

Supports: Hana & Jessie- Lee’s Bad Habits

Nashville’s outlaw country queen, Nikki Lane returns to Australia for the first time in eleven years, bringing her signature blend of vintage country and rock ‘n’ roll swagger to stages from coast to coast this October. In June, Lane released a surprise single, ‘Woodruff City Limit’, setting the scene for an exciting year ahead of new music and style from the star.

Swimming Bell

When: WED 15 OCT

Where: Barwon Club Hotel, Geelong

Supports: Ally Row, Elly McK, The Unbelievers

Los Angeles six-piece Swimming Bell bring their lush Californian alt-folk to Australia for the first time. Compared to a folk-era Sharon Van Etten, Meg Baird and Rosali, Swimming Bell is the musical project of Katie Schottland, a Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter whose ethereal melodies and intricate harmonies create a dreamlike sonic landscape. Their latest EP, Somnia, will be on showcase during their debut Down Under.

Eliza & The Delusionals

When: FRI 17 OCT

Where: Volta, Ballarat

Supports: Jet City Sports Club

Eliza & the Delusionals are hitting the road for a special Australian regional tour to celebrate the 5th anniversary of their breakout EP A State of Living in an Objective Reality. The release catapulted the band into the international spotlight, earning widespread acclaim for its nostalgic indie rock sound and emotional depth. They will be performing the entire EP in full along with some new and old favourites.

ILLY

When: SAT 18 OCT

Where: The Whaler Hotel, Warrnambool

Supports: Noah Vernon, Claira Vizzy

Following Illy’s Good Life, his 3rd ARIA #1 Aus album, and the huge capital city tour of the same name, comes The Good-er Life Tour, a mammoth, 27-date party around Australia. With an explosive live show, a litany of certified classics, and an album of new hits, Illy and the band are bringing high octane energy to stages country wide this August to November.

Eurogliders

When: SAT 18 OCT

Where: The Westernport Hotel, San Remo

Supports: Abby Stone

The Eurogliders story begins in 1981, in Perth, Australia – the most isolated city in the world. Within a decade of forming, Eurogliders had recorded four albums, enjoyed a multitude of chart topping singles and been awarded a swag of awards from around the globe, for both music and video.

ZEKE

When: THU 30 OCT

Where: Trash Cult Records, Bendigo

From the depths of Seattle’s cesspool of waste sees the return of the hardest, fastest and terrifying rock band on earth ZEKE. After leaving a trail of bodies behind them on their first Australian tour in over 20 years in 2024 with Cosmic Psychos they are back, headlining their own shows with a slew of amazing support bands. They will melt your faces, they will melt your minds, they will steal your souls. 

NO CIGAR

When: FRI 31 OCT

Where: Torquay Hotel, Torquay

Supports: To Be Announced

NO CIGAR are a five-piece semi-rock band from Aotearoa New Zealand, known for their genre-blurring sound, magnetic live shows, and steady rise as one of New Zealand’s most exciting musical exports. This year, NO CIGAR returned with their third studio album Under the Surface, a record crafted for the stage and shaped by their shared spirit and musical chemistry that is always best served live.

For a full (no exhaustive) list of gigs happening in and around Victoria, head here.