Summer Sundays return to Ballarat Botanical Gardens this January

After a two-year hiatus, Summer Sundays returns from January 9 with four talented acts performing each night.

The first Sunday will feature Harry James Angus from The Cat Empire while the second on January 16 will be headlined by Katy Steele from Little Birdy and also include the return of fireworks over Lake Wendouree,.

January 23 features a local lineup including Skyscraper Stan, The Sam Boon Quintet, Coda Chroma and Brodie Glen and the Clinic with the final Sunday headlined by The Soul Movers, including former red Wiggle Murray Cook, and Ben Mastwyk and His Millions.

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North ward councillor Peter Eddy said it was exciting to have Summer Sundays return to the city.

"I think the great thing about it is that not only is it good for the city and people to get out and about, but just the entertainers themselves to have that opportunity to earn some income, to be part of the community and I think they'll feed off the atmosphere of the events," he said.

Cr Eddy said the events would draw people from both Ballarat and the wider region.

"People who want to actually come to Ballarat for a weekend, it's a good opportunity to come and enjoy the lake, gardens and environment one day and stay for the sounds of Sunday the next day. We're confident that it will get both the accommodation sector and the hospitality and retail sectors doing well out of it," he said.

"I think that just the opportunity to actually get out, particularly into an outdoor space, the gardens are spectacular at any time, but just be able to get out and start to live normally.

"We're all conscious that we've still got to do the right thing in a lot of environments but it's just good I think that people can start to see that there's a way forward and going into next year, we need some confidence that it's going to be a better year than the last two years."

Stan Woodhouse of Skyscraper Stan said the local music scene had been 'sleepy' in recent months due to the pandemic.

"It's all coming back now and the council's been putting their backing into a lot of different things that we've got to get involved with, which has been fantastic. There's been music popping up all over the place and we've had a chance to jump up and chew the boards again which has been so refreshing," he said.

"We've had a chance to have a couple of smaller shows in venues again as capacities have started to lift and they've just been really life-affirming, wonderful experiences. To get up on a stage here in Ballarat and have a bunch of people picnicking or however it's going to look, it's just going to be amazing."

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