General News
25 September, 2025
Red Hot Summer Tour comes to Warrnambool
WARRNAMBOOL City Council has partnered with the Red Hot Summer Tour to bring the iconic music festival to the city.
Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, the Cruel Sea, the Cat Empire, Kasey Chambers and Jess Hitchcock will perform at the Warrnambool Racecourse on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
About 7,000 people are expected to attend.
Warrnambool mayor Cr Ben Blain said that to be approached by the festival, spoke to the city’s growing reputation as an events destination, especially following last year’s wildly successful triple j One Night Stand event.
“What triple j One Night Stand showed was that Warrnambool is an ideal host for major music events, and that success has helped to pave the way for Warrnambool to be included as part of the Red Hot Summer Tour,” he said.
“It complements the direction we’ve set in the Creative Warrnambool Strategy, which recognises live music as a vital part of our city’s culture and identity.”
Cr Blain believes it also builds on Warrnambool’s Victorian Top Tourism Town win, and its status as an events city plays a big part in that.
“A festival like the Red Hot Summer Tour, it’s something you’d usually have to travel quite some way to see, so for locals, it’s going to be huge,” he said.
“And for visitors who have already booked their summer accommodation, it’s fair to say they’ve hit the jackpot.”
Cr Blain believes that for a lot of businesses, especially in hospitality and accommodation, summer is by far their most important time of the year.
“So to have the Red Hot Summer Tour here in January gives these businesses another boost during a period that’s so vital for setting themselves up for the year ahead.”
Tickets are now available at www.ticketmaster.com.au.
