This year for our Regional Tours, we did something different.

Behind every great artist, unforgettable live show, beloved venue, and thriving music community is someone working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it happen. Promoters are the champions of live music – they connect artists with audiences, transform ideas into experiences and help shape the cultural life of their towns and regions. They are passionate advocates, community builders, risk-takers, and the driving force behind so many of the moments that bring us together through music.

The MusicNSW Regional Team is proud to introduce the inaugural cohort of emerging promoters participating in our 2026 Regional Tours Mentorship:

• Alex Clark (Muve Management)
• Jack “Red” Portegies (Red Cap Agency)
• Mikaila Grealy
• Saralyn
• Sophie Ryder (Flaming Heart)

Over the past few months, five exciting regional promoters have been working alongside the MusicNSW regional team to develop, plan and deliver this year's Regional Tours. Through hands-on mentoring and industry masterclasses led by the incredible team at Yours & Owls, they have built skills in tour planning, budgeting, programming and curation, marketing, and PR. As a result, the promoters will roll out five tours across regional NSW in September & October 2026.

MusicNSW Regional Managers Sophie Jones & Nino Haggith said:

I'm excited about our new mentorship component, which will support and upskill regional promoters to work alongside our regional coordinators in curating these tours. Building sustainable regional touring routes and developing audiences means investing in the people behind the scenes as well as the artists on stage, and this program is doing both. Our promoter mentees are not only presenting outstanding live music experiences throughout September and October, they're helping shape the future of regional touring itself."

We're thrilled to celebrate these passionate music champions and present our MusicNSW Regional Tours Mentors!

ALEX CLARK

(Muve Management)

Alex Clark is an Australian singer-songwriter, live music curator and Founder of MUVE Management, a regional live music organisation dedicated to strengthening connections between artists, venues and communities across South East NSW and the ACT. For his mentorship, Alex worked on the MUVE Beyond the Curtain Tour.

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JACK "RED" PORTEGIES

(REDCAP Agency)

Jack "Red" Portegies created REDCAP to foster the idea of a regional-based agency focusing on regionally-based artists and creating opportunities through collaboration and a strong original music community. Red is also a singer songwriter himself, touring and releasing music in duo Oak & Oranje. For the mentorship, Red worked on the West Bound & Down Tour.

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MIKAILA GREALY

(Artist/Emerging Promoter)

For more than 20 years, Mikaila has been captivating audiences across Australia with her powerful voice, heartfelt songwriting, and magnetic stage presence. For the mentorship, Mikaila worked on The Groove & Brew Tour.

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SARALYN

(Artist/Emerging Promoter)

Saralyn is an independent country artist, songwriter, and live performer based in regional NSW, with over 15 years of experience on stage. Known for her powerful vocals and heartfelt storytelling, she has built a strong presence across the Australian country music scene, with national radio airplay and performances on major festival stages. For this mentorship, Saralyn worked on the Wild Hearts Tour.

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SOPHIE RYDER

(Flaming Heart Records)

Sophie Ryder is a Northern Rivers-based music promoter and founder of Flaming Heart Records, an independent label launched in 2021. With a strong DIY ethos, she works across artist development, PR, digital distribution and live events, creating exciting opportunities for emerging musicians. For this mentorship, Sophie worked on The Takeover Tour.