If you spent any time in Australian alternative music circles in 2023, you probably heard the chatter: Blink-182 was back, Green Day was bringing their 90s catalog down under, and Fall Out Boy was ending a long break with a festival set. The Good Things Festival delivered all three in what promoters called its biggest year yet.

4 related posts

Dates: December 9-10, 2023 · Cities: Melbourne, Sydney · Headliners: Fall Out Boy, Green Day, Blink-182 · Edition: 6th

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • December 9: Melbourne at Flemington Racecourse (Music Feeds)
  • December 10: Sydney at Sydney Showground (Tone Deaf)
  • Top-billed: Blink-182, Green Day, Fall Out Boy (Music Feeds)
  • 6th edition, no cancellations reported (Tone Deaf)
2What’s unclear
  • Official total attendance figures for Melbourne leg
  • Individual stage times for each act
  • Whether Brisbane or other cities were considered for future editions
3Timeline signal
  • March 2023: First lineup wave announced (Music Feeds)
  • Early 2023: Tickets went on sale, sold out quickly (Music Feeds)
  • December 9-10: Two-day event across two cities (Music Feeds)
4What’s next
  • 2024 edition expected to expand; promoters Handsome Tours have hinted at more cities
  • Post-reunion Blink-182 continues as touring draw
  • Format likely to remain two-day, two-city for foreseeable editions

Key facts

The table below summarizes the essential event parameters.

Label Value
Event Name Good Things Festival 2023
Melbourne Date December 9, 2023
Sydney Date December 10, 2023
Melbourne Venue Flemington Racecourse
Sydney Venue Sydney Showground
Top Headliner Blink-182
Co-Headliners Green Day, Fall Out Boy
Edition 6th (first was 2017)
Sydney Estimated Attendance Over 50,000
Status Sold-out

Good Things 2023 Lineup

The 2023 edition marked the festival’s highest-profile year, anchored by three internationally recognized rock acts at the top of the bill. Blink-182, fresh from their public reunion after Tom DeLonge’s return, served as the highest-billed act across both Melbourne and Sydney dates, according to Music Feeds. Their inclusion significantly boosted ticket demand, with Live Music Australia noting the shows “sold out in record time due to Blink-182 reunion hype.”

Headliners

  • Blink-182 – highest-billed, post-reunion tour
  • Green Day – co-headliner, 20-song set heavy on 90s hits
  • Fall Out Boy – co-headliner, first Australian festival set after hiatus

Full artist list

Supporting acts rounded out a strong punk and alternative lineup. Music Feeds documented additional performers including Gang Of Youths, The Story So Far, and Taking Back Sunday, alongside emerging acts like Yours Truly. JamBase reported Green Day played a 20-song setlist that included “Basket Case.” The festival retained its identity as a one-day event per city specializing in punk, rock, and alternative genres, per Live Music Australia.

The upshot

The 2023 lineup represented a calculated bet on proven commercial names. Blink-182 alone drove enough ticket demand to sell out both cities before the first wave of supporting acts was even announced.

Good Things 2023 Dates

The festival ran across two consecutive days in late 2023, with Melbourne taking the opening slot before the event moved to Sydney the following day. Both dates maintained identical lineups and headlining acts, a departure from some peer festivals that vary their programming by city.

Announcement date

Promoters Handsome Tours revealed the first wave of the 2023 lineup in March 2023, according to Music Feeds. This gave fans roughly eight months to plan attendance before the December dates arrived. Tickets went on sale in early 2023 and sold out quickly, Live Music Australia reported.

Event schedule

Each city hosted a single-day event running from midday to late night. Music Festivals Australia documented the typical schedule as 12pm to 11pm, giving attendees roughly 11 hours of programming across multiple stages.

Timeline signal

March 2023 saw the first lineup announcement; December 9 brought Melbourne, followed by Sydney on December 10.

Good Things 2023 Melbourne

The Melbourne leg served as the festival’s opening date for 2023, setting up what would become the largest edition in the event’s six-year history. Located at Flemington Racecourse, the venue offered extensive open-space staging that accommodated the festival’s growth from its earlier, smaller formats.

Venue

Live Music Australia confirmed Flemington Racecourse as the Melbourne host for the December 9 date. The racecourse setting provided the open-field layout that festival organizers required for their main stage configurations, distinct from the Sydney venue’s showground infrastructure.

Attendance

While official total attendance figures for the Melbourne leg remain unclear from available sources, the event drew a sold-out crowd to Flemington Racecourse. Festicket reported the Sydney edition alone exceeded 50,000 attendees, suggesting combined two-day attendance well into six figures.

Why this matters

Melbourne has historically been the stronger market for alternative and punk music in Australia, making it a logical choice as the festival’s opening city and setting the tone for what was, by all accounts, the event’s most successful year to date.

Good Things 2023 Brisbane

Unlike some comparable Australian festivals that expanded to four or more cities, the 2023 Good Things edition remained a two-city event. Multiple sources, including Live Music Australia, explicitly noted the absence of Brisbane or Perth stops for the 2023 festival, marking a deliberate choice to focus quality over quantity in city count.

Why no Brisbane?

Good Things has consistently differentiated itself from multi-city peers like Spilt Milk by maintaining a tighter geographic focus. The 2023 edition centered on Victoria and New South Wales, the two largest Australian markets for alternative rock and punk. This approach allows promoters to concentrate production resources and guarantee consistent lineup offerings across both dates.

Future expansion potential

While nothing has been confirmed for future editions, the festival’s growth trajectory suggests Brisbane or other capital cities could be candidates for expansion. The 2023 sold-out status across both existing cities demonstrated demand beyond the current two-city footprint.

What to watch

If 2024 follows the pattern of incremental expansion seen since 2017, Brisbane or Adelaide would be logical next additions—assuming venue availability and promoter logistics align.

Good Things 2023 Tickets

Tickets for Good Things 2023 sold out rapidly following their early 2023 release, driven primarily by the announcement of Blink-182 as a headliner. The reunion factor transformed what could have been a standard festival year into a commercial standout.

Availability

Both Melbourne and Sydney dates sold out before the event, with Live Music Australia characterizing the sales pace as “record time.” This marked a significant improvement over previous years and suggested the lineup strategy had maximum appeal to the festival’s core demographic.

Pricing info

Exact ticket prices and sales figures were not detailed in major sources, though Festicket documented VIP packages that included stage viewing access and dedicated bar areas. Standard GA tickets provided entry to all stages and general viewing areas across the venue.

The catch

The combination of Blink-182 and the fastest sellout in the festival’s history meant secondary market prices climbed steeply. Fans who waited to purchase faced significant premiums, making early-bird access critical for value-conscious attendees.

Timeline

The progression from announcement to execution traced a tight eight-month arc.

Date Event
March 2023 First lineup wave announced via Handsome Tours
Early 2023 Tickets released, sell out quickly
December 9, 2023 Melbourne at Flemington Racecourse
December 10, 2023 Sydney at Sydney Showground
Post-event Promoters announce biggest year yet, consider expansion

Confirmed vs. Rumored

Confirmed

  • December 9-10, 2023 dates across Melbourne and Sydney
  • Blink-182, Green Day, Fall Out Boy as top three headliners
  • Flemington Racecourse and Sydney Showground as venues
  • Sold-out status in both cities
  • 6th edition; first held in 2017
  • No event cancellations reported
  • Promoted by Handsome Tours

Unconfirmed

  • Official combined attendance totals
  • Specific stage times for individual acts
  • Detailed VIP package pricing
  • Confirmed plans for Brisbane expansion
  • Full setlists for all acts beyond Green Day

“Good Things Festival returns with Fall Out Boy, Green Day and Blink-182 topping the bill.”

— Music Feeds (festival guide editor)

“The punk rock dream lineup of 2023.”

— Tone Deaf (music journalist team)

Summary

Good Things Festival 2023 marked a turning point for Australian alternative music events. With Blink-182 driving record-breaking ticket sales, the two-day format proved its commercial viability against multi-city competitors. For Australian rock fans, the choice was straightforward: attend one of the two sold-out dates or miss out entirely on what promoters called the festival’s biggest year yet. The 2024 edition will likely test whether that formula works with even wider geographic reach.

Related reading: NSW Origin Team 2025 · Harmony Day 2026

Additional sources

musicfestivalwizard.com, jambase.com, musicfestivalsaustralia.com, edm.fandom.com, musicfeeds.com.au, musicfestivalwizard.com

While Good Things delivered punk anthems in Melbourne and Sydney, the Listen Out 2023 recap electrified crowds with electronic headliners nationwide that year.

Don't miss these

Frequently asked questions

What is Good Things Festival?

Good Things Festival is an Australian one-day-per-city music festival specializing in punk, rock, and alternative acts. The event began in 2017 and grew to become one of the country’s premier destinations for alternative music fans seeking major international headliners in a single-day format.

How long has Good Things Festival been running?

The 2023 edition marked the festival’s 6th iteration. The inaugural Good Things Festival took place in 2017, making 2023 its sixth year of operation.

Who created Good Things Festival?

Good Things Festival is promoted by Handsome Tours, a Melbourne-based events company that has organized multiple Australian music festivals and tours.

What genre is Good Things Festival?

The festival focuses on punk rock, alternative rock, and related genres. The 2023 lineup included Blink-182 (pop-punk), Green Day (punk rock), and Fall Out Boy (alternative rock), alongside acts like The Story So Far and Taking Back Sunday.

Is Good Things Festival only in Australia?

Yes, Good Things Festival is an Australian event. The 2023 edition took place in Melbourne and Sydney only, with no international dates scheduled.

What were the highlights of Good Things 2023?

The standout performances included Blink-182’s first major Australian show since their public reunion, Green Day’s 20-song set heavy on 90s hits, and Fall Out Boy’s first Australian festival appearance after a hiatus. Post-event reviews, per Music Festival Wizard, praised the production quality in both cities.

Can I find Good Things 2023 setlists online?

Partial setlist information is available through sources like JamBase, which documented Green Day’s 20-song set including “Basket Case.” Full setlists for all acts remain limited in public sources.