Red Hot Summer Tour drops first acts for 2018, expands into WA

Image: Suzi Quatro

The Red Hot Summer Tour, the sell-out regional run which last year drew a total of 158,000 punters, announced the dates and venues of its 10 dates in 2018.

Headlining the bill is Suzi Quatro who last toured Australia in 2014, along with The Angels, Baby Animals, The Screaming Jets, Moving Pictures and Chocolate Starship.

A second round of acts will be announced in August, and a third a month later.

Last month, the festival teased patrons with a social media posting asking which female rockers they wanted to see.

The Red Hot Summer Tour has built up its brand targeting regional centres starved for live music, boasting well-established names such as John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes, Daryl Braithwaite, James Reyne, Noiseworks, Mark Seymour, Shannon Noll and Taxiride.

It’s added new towns each year, and 2018 will see it debut in WA on Rottnest Island.

Promoter Duane McDonald says, “We have had wonderful support over the past eight years since we launched the Red Hot Summer Tour.

“We wanted to make sure we could bring top-notch music to regional areas and audiences have embraced that concept.

“Now we have the opportunity to take the tour further afield and we will be launching shows in new venues in 2018, including taking the Red Hot Summer Tour to Western Australia for the first time ever.

“We can’t thank music fans enough for their support – we look forward to continuing to bring fantastic festival experiences to regional Australia.”

Dates and venues:

January 6 – Mulwala Water Ski Club, Mulwala, NSW

January 13 – Sounds By The River, Mary Ann Reserve, Mannum SA

January 14 – Hotel Rottnest, Rottnest Island, WA

January 20 – Mornington Racecourse, Mornington, VIC

January 21 – Country Club Lawns, Launceston, TAS

January 26 – Old Mount Gambier Gaol, Mt Gambier, SA

January 27 – North Gardens, Ballarat, VIC

February 3 – Mackay Park, Batemans Bay, NSW

February 3 – Bella Vista Farm, Bella Vista, NSW

February 10 – Sandstone Point Hotel, Bribie Island, QLD

Tickets for the event are available on Thursday June 8 through Ticketmaster.