Musicians with disabilities are set to take the spotlight once again at the 2025 Mundi Mundi Festival, Australia’s premier outback music event. The festival, which has already sold out, anticipates an impressive crowd of nearly 15,000 attendees gathering on the red-dirt plains of far-west New South Wales. Among the diverse lineup, the supergroup Headliners will return, bringing with them a message of inclusivity and resilience drawn from their experiences depicted in a recent documentary series.
The Mundi Mundi Festival, scheduled to kick off on Thursday, will feature renowned acts such as Missy Higgins, Hoodoo Gurus, and The Cat Empire. Headliners will perform a special show for earlybird campers on Wednesday evening, marking a celebratory return for a group that captured hearts in the 2024 ABC TV documentary series of the same name. The show highlighted the challenges faced by musicians living with disabilities and showcased their journey in forming two bands: Sync or Swim and Together With Strangers.
Vocalist and guitarist Aimee, who has a prosthetic leg, expressed excitement about the upcoming performance. She noted that while the groups maintained contact after the documentary, rehearsals in Sydney earlier this month marked their first time performing together as a supergroup. Aimee emphasized the significance of their collaboration, stating, “All of us can relate on like, you know, that deeper level,” adding that their differences only enhance their unity and creativity.
The Headliners will showcase both the songs they covered in the series and new original pieces co-written by members, including Sonnet, who is deaf in one ear, and MC Wheels, who lives with spinal muscular atrophy. Wheels remarked on the tight bond formed during rehearsals, saying, “It’s quite amazing to see just how tight everyone was even on day one.”
The festival’s director, Greg Donovan, highlighted the evolving mission of Mundi Mundi, stating, “We’ve always prided ourselves on inclusivity.” He noted that last year’s collaboration with Headliners reframed accessibility not only for audiences but also for performers. The festival is now viewed as an annual pilgrimage for many music enthusiasts, and the NSW government has recently improved access to the venue by sealing the last 2.5 km of road leading to Belmont Station, located 9 km north of Silverton and 35 km from Broken Hill.
As the festival approaches, police have issued warnings of increased traffic between Broken Hill and Silverton over the weekend, urging motorists to plan accordingly. The Mundi Mundi Festival reflects a broader commitment to inclusivity in the music industry, showcasing the remarkable capabilities and creativity of artists from all backgrounds.
