Saturday, 9th May 2026

7pm - 10pm

Great Southern Nights in association with Archive Mid North Coast Presents:

Emma Donovan brings her acclaimed new album Take Me to the River to the historic Bowraville Theatre for a deeply special album launch close to Country that holds profound personal and cultural significance.

First unveiled at Darwin Festival and since performed on stages around the country, including a recent season at Sydney Festival, Take Me to the River is more than a concert. It is a gathering. A calling-in. A return to soul music as inheritance, memory and truth-telling. Drawing on timeless songs made famous by artists such as Al Green, Aretha Franklin and Ann Peebles, Donovan reimagines this repertoire through her own lived experience, heritage and extraordinary voice.

Reviewing the Sydney Festival performance, Beyond The Encore wrote:

“This was not a concert in the conventional sense; it was a gathering… music returned to its source, family, Country, memory, and spirit.”

Presented in the intimate setting of Bowraville Theatre, this album launch promises to be one of the most powerful and personal performances of the Take Me to the River journey to date. Expect warmth, reverence, soaring vocals and moments that linger long after the final note.

A rare opportunity to experience Emma Donovan in full voice, on Country, with heart wide open.

With special guest support Maanyung

Maanyung is a Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl artist creating soulful, story-driven music grounded in Country, culture, and language. His work is guided by old people’s stories and lived experience, using song as a way to share truth, carry language, and bring people together.

He has shared stages with Yothu Yindi and Matt Corby, and featured on Triple J’s Like A Version. Maanyung’s music invites listeners to slow down, listen deeply, and reconnect not just to sound, but to story, spirit, and place.

Great Southern Nights 2026 takes place from 1-17 May 2026 featuring 300+ gigs across Sydney and NSW

General Admission Tickets $64.90  | Mob tickets $24.20 online HUMANTIX + booking fees or at the door if available

Cafe | EFTPOS available

Wheelchair access

Bowraville Theatre, 74 High Street