Australia's breakout global star, Tones And I, has helped bring music back to Melbourne's streets by returning to her former busking spot in Bourke Street Mall.
Tones And I made the surprise performance to help support local shops, restaurants, cafes and bars recovering from the impact of COVID-19.
After beginning her career busking on the streets of Melbourne and Byron Bay, her breakout single, Dance Monkey, was released in May 2019 and has now reached number one in more than 30 countries.
Dance Monkey was the second most streamed song in the world in 2020, with almost 2 billion streams on Spotify and 7 billion streams across all platforms.
The final pop-up performance was the result of a partnership between the Victorian Government, Mushroom Group and the City of Melbourne.
Participating artists included Daryl Braithwaite, Missy Higgins, Gordi, Mark Seymour, Vika and Linda, the Pierce Brothers and Hayley Mary.
The initiative is supported by the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne through the $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund.
In an initiative to increase the number of street performers, the City of Melbourne is calling for buskers to come forward and apply for a free permit and bring even more music and performance art to the streets.
Busking permits will remain free until June 2021 in recognition of the important role that buskers can play in our city's character and culture.
Quotes Attributable to Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece:
"After one of the world's longest lockdowns, it's such a thrill to see a global star performing in Bourke Street Mall.
As a former busker who has become an international star, Tones And I understands the joy of live music and how it brings people together.
We want this performance to inspire buskers to come back to our city. We've waived busking fees for until June 2021 because we want hundreds more street performers to help activate our streets. "
Quotes Attributable to Tones And I:
"It was so good to get back to my roots and busk where it all started for me.
I'm in music as I love writing & playing live. Busking is as real as it gets and I'm so happy I got to do it again for everyone who has supported me."
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