The Macquarie Conservatorium (MacqCon) is gearing up to host its first outdoor youth music festival in Dubbo next month.

“Greenbeats on the Green” will showcase the talents of seven local and regional high school bands and artists performing in the grounds of the MacqCon, located on the corner of Darling and Bultje Streets.

The family-friendly, drug and alcohol-free event is something not to be missed, MacqCon music educator Nolan Furnell told Dubbo Photo News. With tickets at just $15 each for a night of great entertainment, the 4-8pm event on Saturday, September 19, is very affordable.

Derived from an existing series of shows working with young bands and artists, Greenbeats on the Green will be something different for the team at MacqCon, Nolan said.

“We wanted to take it outside and turn it into a youth music festival with a family-friendly vibe,” he added.

“The Greenbeats shows are something we've been doing at Macquarie Conservatorium for about a year now,” he said.

“The point of Greenbeats is to give opportunities to young bands, regardless of whether they are students or not,” he added.

“We decided to do something different with this show and take it outside on what hopefully will be a beautiful evening.”

Participating bands and artists from around the region will include Stitch, Fracture, Fable, Sunlotus, Sokie, The College Kids, and singer-songwriter Aarien Towney.

Involved for several years with SOMAD, the Songwriters and Original Musicians Association of Dubbo, Nolan said he was blown away by the number of bands emerging from local high schools and he was thrilled to work with them.

The MacqCon’s “rock school” program has been running for almost a year now, he said, supporting the growing number of bands in schools.

Everyone at MacqCon is excited about the forthcoming music festival and Nolan said they hope the community will get on board, come out and support these young musicians and enjoy a local homegrown youth music festival.

“It’s a great opportunity to support some of the young musicians and artists that are coming up in Dubbo at the moment,” he said.

Nolan recommended that anyone wishing to attend the event should consider bringing a picnic blanket or camping chairs along for their comfort. Food and drinks will be available on the night and attendees are welcome to bring their own, but no alcohol or drugs are permitted.

Tickets for Greenbeats on the Green are available from 123Tix.