Katy Perry's Bright bushfire concert gives priority tickets to Alpine and Towong shire
It's official, Katy Perry will be performing in Bright next week, but mayors on both sides of the state border have called for tickets to be made available for fire-affected residents across the Murray in NSW.
Instead of her usual stadium or arena show, the international star will be performing a free concert to a more intimate crowd of about 6000 in Bright's Pioneer Park Recreation Reserve.
The Fight On concert will take place next Wednesday following on from the Brighter Days festival.
Residents from Towong and Alpine shires are eligible to apply for tickets through their respective councils and will be bussed to the performance.
Tickets will also be available for emergency service personnel, while general members of the public can register their interest at Ticketek.
Towong mayor David Wortmann said the show would benefit the whole North East.
"It's great an international artist like that is coming to the region," he said.
"I'm just a little disappointed it's not closer to the Upper Murray.
"It's quite a long trek from Corryong to Bright... it's difficult to say but for an international superstar I'm sure people are prepared to make the trek."
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Cr Wortmann said it would be great if organisers considered making tickets available for residents just across the Murray in areas hurt by the same fire like Jingellic.
"There shouldn't be any borders, everyone's been impacted by the bushfires," he said.
Snowy Valleys mayor James Hayes agreed.
He said a limit must be drawn somewhere but it would be great if NSW communities on the border like Jingellic were prioritised.
"The fire didn't have any boundaries, it didn't stop at the state border, it didn't stop at the shire border and it didn't stop at ACT border," he said.
"It's important everyone is included, but where do you start and where do you finish? It's very difficult but we've noticed there hasn't been a lot of attention directed at the Snowy Valleys for some reason we've fallen off the radar."
