Festival of Dusk sells out as hundreds of music lovers flock to the Albany Town Hall for the annual showcase

Hundreds of music lovers flocked to Albany Town Hall as the Festival of Dusk delivered an energetic night with a sold-out crowd packing the venue on May 16.

Now in its third year, the annual festival has quickly established itself as a key fixture on the local live music calendar, drawing strong demand and a growing audience eager for a high energy night of live performances.

More than 300 people packed the Town Hall as the night built momentum from the opening performances to the headline performance from Perth rock band Gyroscope, who returned to Albany 15 years after their first show in the city.

Festival coordinator Simon Blackburn said this year’s event was designed to elevate the musical experience with a stronger rock focus and a headline act capable of drawing big audiences.

“We knew it would be a good show and our intention this time was having a drawcard act which was our headliner from Perth being Gyroscope,” he said.

“We wanted it to build the festival during the night which is exactly what happened — we started off with a great crowd and it got bigger and bigger and it meant that the finale at the end of the night paid off really well.”

Blackburn said the response from the crowd reflected the strong appetite for live music in the region, particularly when major touring acts are paired with local talent.

“This year was different to the first two years — it was always a Great Southern exclusive and then this year we opened it up to the Great Southern and other parts of WA and made it a bit more of a rock-focused festival,” he said.

“That’s the kind of form that it will take moving forward.”

Blackburn said while the gig has expanded, local representation will remain a key priority moving forward.

“We definitely always want to have strong local representation with at least half of the acts being from the Great Southern and then we’re hoping to include Perth again and maybe some of the other regions in WA,” he said.

Blackburn said the event being a sell out highlights just how quickly the festival has grown.