Famous faces, homegrown comedy and plenty of local food and drink will hopefully provide some welcome relief to fire-affected communities next week.
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The fire relief fund-raiser is the brainchild of Cobden-born musician Libby Steel and will take over the town’s recreation reserve on Anzac Day, April 25.
X Factor alumni Taylor Henderson and Nathaniel are among the line-up, which will also feature Triple J Unearthed acts like Bones and Jones, Jimi Crisp and Nigel Wearne.
Tim Morrison, Nancie Schipper, the Pete Daffy Band and Cooper Lower will also be familiar names performing at the Cobden event.
There will also be light relief in the form of Aidan Nicolson, from Warrnambool’s Dirty Angel Comedy, who will MC the event and perform a comedy show.
Ms Steel said the event began as a “pretty humble little idea to get a few bands together to raise some money for those affected by the fires”.
“It kind of blew up, just because of everyone’s support and everyone wanting to do their bit,” she said.
“We’ve got some really exciting people coming down and everyone in the community is pitching in, we’ve got local produce, comedians from Warrnambool who are going to MC it. It’s going to be a really good community event that will hopefully raise a bit of money.”
Ms Steel said performers were donating their time for free, with all money raised going to the South West Fire Relief Fund.
“We’ve got pretty high hopes,” she said of the fund-raising target.
The fund-raiser begins at 2pm with family-friendly fun like jumping castles and rides, before the evening celebrations get under way and run well into the night.
Ms Steel said she hoped the event would be a welcome night off for the community.
“People in Cobden have just been working so hard, I just thought if we could create one night where everyone can sit back, have a beer, have a chat with everyone and try to take their mind off everything,” she said.
“It’s just a great community event where everyone is putting in. The whole community has made it happen.”
Visit eventbrite.com.au for tickets.