Dashville Skyline 2025 Ready To Roll With Bumper Line Up

Credit: Swamphouse Photography

It’s been a beautiful sonic stroll for the Hunter Valley’s Dashville Skyline, which celebrated a huge 10th birthday last year and now returns over the October Long Weekend (NSW) 3-5 October 2025, for what is arguably the biggest line up in its enduring 11-year history.

---

Also known as the Cosmic Country Weekender, this is an incredible cultural escape that is internationally renowned for it’s well-considered grassroots programming. A festival which provides an exceptional musical offering for laid back music lovers. with over 40 live performances ready to roll across three stages, including a highly anticipated headlining performance on the Saturday evening by Australian legends The Cruel Sea.

International guests on the line up in 2025 include American acts Nikki Lane, Cordovas, Vincent Neil Emerson, Laidback Country Picker, and Swimming Bell.

Other popular Australian based acts on the on the line up include the energetic country superstar Fanny Lumsden, dream weaving duo Mama Kin Spender,  psychedelic country sounds of Lost Ragas, introspective beauty of Melody Pool, genre-bending country of Charlie Collins, Americana/Folk duo Minor Gold, country folk vibes of Emily Lubitz, old school bluesman Col Ray Price, old world charm of Jamey Foxton, new world charm of The Slims, fiddle extraordinaries Midnight Chicken, smooth folk rock of Magpie Diaries, rough and ready Huckleberry & The Devils Dandruff, cool calm CJ Stranger, south coast legend Tall Shaun & The Resolution, authentic country troubadour William Alexander, good looking’ local crooner Kingsley James & The Forest Keepers.

If we’ve still got you, the list goes on.. Sydney’s love riddled Lady Lyon, Melbourne’s golden boy Ben Mastwyk & His Millions, Sydney’s country punk rockers Dave Favours & The Roadside Ashes,  exciting Melbourne prodigy Kyle Brew & The Flying Bison Band, local guitar legends Grand Pricks, Canadian expat, now Melbourne based Meghan Maike & The Cactus Flowers, Brandon Dodd aka Dingo, familiar crowd favourite from regional Victoria, Steve Lane & The Autocrats, Dunghutti songwriter Joey Leigh Wagtail, Netherland singer/songwriter Joyce Prescher and this dark horse fella from Sydney who goes by the name of A Man Called Stu.

There’s a whole bunch of songwriters in the round showcases, featuring exceptional acts such as Paddy McHugh, Misty Harlowe, Ruby Gilbert, Euan Hart, Max Marvell, James Thomson, Buddy Dingo and Vanessa Jade.

Because this is a festival about inclusion, there’s a plethora of opportunities across the weekend for people to jump up and get involved through things like blackboard walk ups, poetry slams, music workshops and blues jams.

For those who want to roll in early and get the pick of the camping spots, the festival hosts a Thursday Night Warm Up Party on Thursday 2nd October, which is an incredible way to kick the weekend off, this year with locals Dank Hank & The Hot Ones, Georgie Winchester and Andy Abra & The Big River Band.

Given it’s held across a generally busy October Long Weekend, the festival gives music lovers the option to purchase single day tickets, or full event three-day passes. In 2025, there’s a new option for Saturday entry + bus package for Hunter Valley residents looking to pop out for the day. Dashville encourages anyone interested to check out all the event info and ticketing options via the Dashville website.

Dashville Skyline is a rare gem, championing the Australian grassroots live music industry.

As this festival celebrates its 11th chapter, it’s worth noting that it’s all run by a small family business, who host it on their family property at Lower Belford. It’s an incredibly rare offering, not driven for financial gain, but rather built sustainably for the ongoing development of emerging regional artists and the Australian live music industry.

The small hardworking team at Dashville have built an enviable reputation for eclectic countrified line ups full of established and emerging superstars. It’s a must-do place to perform for aspiring folk-country superstars and the place to be for punters ready to blow their hair back on an incredible weekend of live music in the Hunter Valley countryside.

A boutique and comfortable festival held amongst natural bushland, that must be experienced to understand how it stands up against the more mainstream American dominated ‘pop country’ music festivals, which are becoming more prolific these days in response to a recent surge in pop country music popularity here in Australia.

Dashville Skyline is a celebration of alternative country music and the surrounding roots culture in its varied forms, otherwise known as ‘proper Australian country.’

A well-orchestrated musical feast which casually meanders its way across a vast open country landscape, with a sky above full of stars and songs and every step below another rabbit hole.

The family-friendly camping festival is a favourite for those who like their music a bit more laid back, perhaps a bit of cool oozed over their country, or feel in their folk. The popular festival is chock-a-block full of amazing live shows from hand-picked artists from around Australia and the world, with a myriad of artistic collaborations, family activities and laid- back old-school country-inspired fun.

Some like to suggest it's what a festival used to be like.

The ultra-chilled countrified camping festival will host over 40 live performances across three stages. Savour mouth-watering American-inspired food and bevvies, trawl the boutique vintage market stalls, visit the music history exhibit, join the animal petting zoo, partake in a guitar-and-car show and shine. These are just a few of the things this great family-orientated, long weekend festival offers. 

Held at the same location as The Gum Ball, Dashville Skyline is a popular alternative to its predecessor, providing an amazing experience for alt-country music lovers and those who like to partake in an ultimate weekend escape.

Given that the festival’s name derives from that of Bob Dylan’s 1968 release Nashville Skyline, which lends an impression of the vibe of this festival. One of the main spectacles of the festival is the immensely popular Sunset Super Round; when artists on the bill merge around the main stage in spontaneous collaboration, to pay homage to their favourite songs of the “golden era”.

It’s a celebration of alternative country, it’s birth in America during the ‘60s- ‘70s, the culture that surrounds the music, and the evolution that continues to inspire modern-day songwriters.

For more information head to www.dashville.com.au