Music community gathers in Nambour as Turn Up turns 12

The Sunshine Coast’s leading music industry event, Turn Up, returns for its twelfth year on Thursday 23 October 2025 at The Presynct, Nambour.

Presented by Turn Up Event and Oztix, the conference is where the region’s musicians, music industry workers, and music lovers come together to connect, celebrate, share knowledge and swap stories.

This year’s program includes two In Conversation panels — dynamic and interactive discussions where leading industry voices are interviewed by Turn Up. These sessions are designed to spark open conversation, with attendees invited to ask questions and join in.

Topics for 2025 include: 

• Cultivating Success: Growing Your Music Career.
• One Stage, Many Journeys: Festivals & Industry Impact.

Alongside the panels, there’ll be roundtable networking where artists and industry professionals can connect directly, plus a live showcase performance by Elke Louie.

Speakers and presenters: Barry Bull OAM, Ian “Dicko” Dickson, Mark Pico (Big Pineapple Music Festival), Amanda Jackes (Woodford Folk Festival), Melissa O’Bryan (Solbar and SCMIC), Brodie Popple (Oztix), Andrea Smith (Applause Genie, Crew Care and Turn Up Event), David Dean (Hostile Entertainment, David Dean Events and Turn Up Event) and Eloise Brock (Turn Up Event).

Eloise Brock, Program Director, said:
“Turn Up is an evening of celebration and education, gathering the Sunshine Coast music community together face-to-face with some of Australia’s most inspiring industry leaders.  Turn Up is the place to connect, share stories, and celebrate the Sunshine Coast’s vibrant music scene.  This year, we’re focusing on career sustainability and the role festivals play in shaping music culture.  It’s an intimate event where you can listen, learn and ask questions of music industry leaders, interact with likeminded people and walk away with new ideas and connections.

Michael Chugg, Chugg Entertainment, said:
“The whole southern Queensland area has been a good nursery for young musicians and young industry people,” Chugg says.  Turn Up is held in an area that can always use an event like this – it’s not in a capital city.  It’s a good thing and I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who are still finding out about it who will really enjoy it.  I had a wonderful time at Turn Up.  It was refreshing to be able to talk to and network with so many young and enthusiastic people about our music industry and I congratulate the organisers on a job well done.”

Event details: 

• What: 2025 Turn Up Sunshine Coast Music Industry Conference.
• When: Thursday 23 October 2025, from 6:00 pm until 10:00 pm.
• Where: The Presynct, 15 Ann Street, Nambour.
• Tickets: $20 + bf (pre-sale), $25 at the door. On sale via Oztix and www.turnupevent.com | Ticket Link: https://linktr.ee/turnupevent.
• Supported by: Turn Up, Oztix, The Presynct, Infinite Music, Locals In The Loop, Yello Mag, Crew Care, Racy and Lucky, Space Girls Festival, Applause Genie, Hostile Entertainment, and David Dean Events.
• Age: All ages: Under 18s welcome with a responsible adult ticket holder.
• Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/17YXcJuWY5/

Program highlights: 

• Welcome & Opening.
• Panel 1 – Cultivating Success: Growing Your Music Career.
• Oztix presentation.
• Panel 2 – One Stage, Many Journeys: Festivals & Industry Impact.
• Roundtable networking.
• Showcase performance – Elke Louie.

Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson Bio: 

Born in Birmingham, UK (1963), now living in Maleny with wife Mel and daughters Esme and Edie, Ian “Dicko” Dickson is best known as the straight-talking judge on Australian Idol (2003), which launched artists like Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, and Matt Corby.

Before TV fame, Dicko built a major international music career. He started as a music journalist and later held senior roles at Sony, Universal, and BMG, working with artists including Foo Fighters, Celine Dion, Jamiroquai, Pink, and John Farnham. In Australia, he became a household name through shows such as Celebrity Apprentice, Australia’s Got Talent, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, and as breakfast radio host in Melbourne and Sydney.

Today, Dicko focuses on artist development as a music manager and business coach, helping independent musicians turn passion into sustainable careers with honest advice and no-nonsense strategies. Music remains his life’s great love, and he’s dedicated to sharing his experience, energy, and insights with the next generation of artists.

Amanda Jackes: 

Amanda Jackes is the Managing Director of Woodfordia Inc., the organisation behind the iconic Woodford Folk Festival, the innovative Planting Festival, the rejuvenating family holiday that is Lake Gkula Camping, and the beloved national regional touring programme Festival of Small Halls. She is also the Co-founder of Woodfordia — the 500 acres of cultural parkland dedicated to the arts, humanities and folklore, underpinned by a deep commitment to environmental care.

Woodfordia Inc is a creative and ambitious organisation guided by a bold 500-year plan. Amanda is passionate about the power of the arts to enrich and transform people, both individually and collectively. She is inspired by the capacity of large-scale creative gatherings to strengthen social cohesion and to help define our shared values through storytelling, artistry, and participation in community life, all while nurturing our connection with the natural world.

In December 2024, Amanda launched A Forest of Goodwill, an ambitious campaign to secure the Woodfordia parkland within a Foundation — protecting this special place for generations to come.

Mark Pico: 

As an event organiser of the Sunshine Coast, Mark has been responsible for organising 19 events with a capacity over 6000 per event. These include the Big Pineapple Festival, Originals Music Festival, Golden Days Festival, 2 Tash Sultana concerts, 1 Rufus concert and Noosa Festival of Surf in 2009. Of these 19 events, 16 sold out!

The Big Pineapple Festival went on to win 3 consecutive Queensland Music Festival of the Year Awards and was one of the only festivals in the world, of it’s size, to run successfully in 2021.

Mark has an incredible understanding of what the public desires and how to deliver it to them. He also has a great gift of unearthing talent. He gae Tones and I and Tash Sultana their first ever festival slots to name a few. Tones has gone on to become the biggest female streaming artist in history for her single Dance Monkey.

Prior to his event career, Mark had a successful music career where he released 6 albums and appeared on 25 surf and snowboard movies working with large surf comapnies such as Rip Curl, Billabong and Quiksilver.

His publicity and marketing skills were honed when working under the legendary media, entertainment and sport publicist, Brian Walsh as well as Rip Curl’s International Marketing Director, Derick Hynd.

After a 3 year break from events and a one year holiday overseas, Mark is now re-energised and has re-launch the Big Pineapple Festival again in the warmer month of October 2024 that sold out and it is returning in 2025 in November.

Melissa O’Bryan: 

Melissa has had a long romance with music. She’s turned decades of passion into a fruitful career booking bands and artists for the Sunshine Coast’s dedicated live music venue, Solbar.

Starting out behind the bar, she took every possible opportunity to learn the ropes of the music business, looking over the shoulders of bookers and sound engineers, soaking up everything she could.

Taking on the position of Solbar’s bookings manager early 2017, she’s booked and facilitated 1000’s of shows from local up-and-comers, to international artists, fielded in areas such as ticketing, PR, graphic design, sound & light tech, tour bookings, MC and stage management, and coordinated with some of the biggest and best names in live music. 

As a side, she sits as inaugural chair on the Sunshine Coast Music Industry Collective & works as a Tour Manager and FOH engineer for upcoming Sunshine Coast band “Betty Taylor”.

Brodie Popple: 

Brodie Popple leverages over a decade of event, venue, and entertainment experience, including roles as a programmer, band manager, agent, music journalist, and ticketing operations executive. His experience provides clients with strategic advice on ticket sales across live music, venues, shows, sports, and events at Oztix.

Elke Louie: 

Elke Louie is an emerging acoustic indie folk singer-songwriter from Gympie, Queensland, who is carving out a unique space in Australia’s contemporary music scene. With a voice that carries both raw emotion and delicate storytelling, Elke blends acoustic warmth with heartfelt lyricism, crafting songs that feel both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Elke is set to release her debut single in late 2025, followed up by other singles and also a highly anticipated EP titled LAVENDER recorded at Mantle Records with Clare and Lawrence of Those Folk. Already turning heads with her evocative songwriting and captivating vocals Elke has collaborated with established artists like Jen Mize from The Rough And Tumble, Clare Quinn from Those Folk and AYLA —all international touring musicians in their own right. Elke’s upcoming work promises to be rich with authenticity and musical depth.

Having performed solo across Southeast Queensland, including standout solo sets at Spring in the Vale Festival, Agnes Waters in 2022, and Heart of Gold International Short Film Festival  2024. Opening for incredible artists like Kristy Apps, Aspy Jones and Lucy Gallant for stunning live shows while still in high school has been a huge honour and major growth for Elke as a young original artist from regional Queensland.

Elke has honed her ability to captivate audiences with an intimate and soul-stirring presence, but versatility is key, when not performing as a solo artist, Elke  fronts Hugo and the Hive, a young dedicated indie rock outfit formed with best friends from Gympie State High School. Effortlessly switching between stripped-back folk ballads and the electric vibrancy of a band-driven sound, Elke embraces the full spectrum of musical storytelling.

With a deep love for both introspective folk and the pulse of indie rock, Elke Louie is an artist on the rise and one to watch as she brings her signature sound to life in the coming years. Stay up to date with what Elke is doing with her music by connecting with her on her social media pages.

Elke Louie finds inspiration and connection with Elliot Smith, Jeff Buckley, Jose Gonzalez, Fionn Regan, Radiohead, Gregory Alan Isakov, Sun Kil Moon, Big Thief, Ben Folds, Villagers and Ben Howard.