Australia’s long-running youth music charity The Push will mark its 40th anniversary by reviving Push Over for a one-day celebration at Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne on Saturday 21 November, bringing together some of the defining names of Australian punk, rock and alternative music.
Presented as part of the Live at the Gardens series by MG Live, The Push and Double J, Push Over – 40 Years of The Push reunites Bodyjar, Frenzal Rhomb, Killing Heidi, Magic Dirt and Regurgitator, bands whose careers were closely intertwined with the all-ages festival that helped shape Australia’s live music landscape throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Originally running from 1992 to 2013, Push Over became a rite of passage for young music fans and an important launching pad for countless Australian artists. Its return also celebrates four decades of The Push, whose work supporting young musicians, industry professionals and all-ages audiences was recognised with induction into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame in 2024. Earlier this year, the organisation also launched its National Plan for Young Australians and Music, a decade-long strategy aimed at strengthening opportunities for young people across the country’s music industry.
Adding to the occasion, every headlining act will be joined on stage by a special guest with their own connection to The Push. Alex Lahey, Alice Ivy, Baker Boy, members of Public Figures, Ruby Fields, and Thalia and Cahli from Teenage Joans will all appear across the day, with their performance pairings remaining under wraps until the event itself.
For the bands, the festival is more than a reunion. Members of Bodyjar, Frenzal Rhomb, Killing Heidi, Magic Dirt and Regurgitator have all spoken about the role The Push played during their formative years, recalling regional tours, first festival appearances and all-ages crowds that helped establish lasting careers. For Killing Heidi, Push Over in 1996 marked their first festival performance, while Magic Dirt vividly remember sharing the stage with Spiderbait, The Meanies and a then-ascending Silverchair during one of the festival’s defining moments.
Push Over – 40 Years of The Push celebrates an organisation that has spent four decades ensuring young Australians can participate in live music, whether on stage, behind the scenes or in the audience. Bringing together artists whose careers grew alongside the charity, the event reflects both its legacy and its continuing role in shaping the future of Australian music.
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