Once again, some of Victoria’s production companies joined forces to support the much-loved Brighter Days Festival 2025 – a vibrant fundraiser held annually over the March Labour Day weekend at Pioneer Park in Bright, Victoria.
Cautech, Austage Events, Peninsula Production Services, and Lock and Light came together to deliver a spectacular production for the event, which is organised entirely by a passionate team of volunteers. The festival raises awareness and funds for Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) – a rare and debilitating skin condition.
This year’s festival featured an impressive lineup of musical talent, including Casey Barnes, The Black Sorrows, Thirsty Merc, The Screaming Eagles, and many more.
The full Acme lighting rig included: 20x ICARUS 320 wash lights, 16x Willow 200 Spots, 6x Energy Spot Pro fixtures, 24x Acme BL100 Ultra IP PARs, 8x Eyeflash Blinders. Two DJ Power H3 Hazers complemented these and were managed via a ChamSys Stadium Connect console.
Lighting design was led by Cautech, with Tony Lamplough, Simon Pentz, and James Christie operating the console. Jesse Connelly served as the Lighting Designer for The Screaming Eagles’ performance.
The Brighter Days Story
Founded in 2012, Brighter Days began as a grassroots effort to support children’s charities. It all started when musicians Matt Powell, John Nixon, and Steve Dundon played a backyard awareness gig for Epidermolysis Bullosa. There, they met young sufferers Eliza and Tilly. Deeply moved by their stories, the trio knew they had to do more.
Meanwhile, their motorcycle-riding friend Jim Henwood was also rallying support. Close friends Rob and Kylie Trewin had tragically lost their son Cooper to Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), while another local mate, Jason Reid, was navigating the heartbreaking journey of having a critically ill child.
Inspired to make a meaningful impact, they banded together with fellow motorcycle and car enthusiasts to create a unique fundraising event – BIKES, CARS, MUSIC – and the Brighter Days Foundation was born.
Now in its 12th year, the Brighter Days Festival has grown into a major three-day family fundraising event. Over the years, the Foundation has proudly donated more than $4.4 million to its supported charities, funding vital care for EB sufferers and supporting groundbreaking research into cures for both EB and SUDC.
The charities supported include:
- DEBRA Australia (Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association)
- Cooper Trewin Foundation
- CurEB Research Foundation
