Mushroom Group planning 50th anniversary concert

Australia’s Mushroom Group is to stage a star-studded 50th anniversary concert in November this year.

The Herald Sun reports the “once in a lifetime event” will be held in Melbourne and will feature a “huge line-up of artists”, to be announced in the coming months.

In addition to touring, Mushroom includes record labels and artist services, publishing, merchandising, booking agencies, film and television production, talent management, venues, creative services and a brand agency.

Its anniversary celebrations will also include a documentary on the life and career of legendary Frontier Touring/Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski, who died in 2021, as well as new recordings of iconic Mushroom Records singles, culminating in a Mushroom 50 album. Limited edition merchandise will also be released.

“Mushroom Group’s legacy is something we’re extremely proud of and we have big plans to commemorate it”

“Mushroom Group’s legacy is something we’re extremely proud of and we have big plans to commemorate it,” says CEO Matt Gudinski. “So many amazing people and artists have formed part of our story and this anniversary is about celebrating our history and future.”

Gudinski’s late father formed Mushroom Records and Mushroom Music Publishing in Melbourne in 1972, going on to release its first album in April 1973.

Frontier Touring, founded in 1979, has worked with artists including Ed Sheeran, Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Paul McCartney and Foo Fighters. It merged with AEG Presents in 2019.

The Music Network notes that when Mushroom celebrated its 25th anniversary with a concert at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in November 1998, it was up until that point the most attended ticketed concert in Australian history, attracting 73,000 people. The show featured a host of domestic stars including Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Peter Andre and Jimmy Barnes with INXS in the band’s first public performance since the death of frontman Michael Hutchence the previous year.

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