Mahalia Barnes tops legendary line-up for Brighter Days Festival in March

The daughter of Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes will perform at the Brighter Days Festival on Sunday, March 12.

The three-day festival from March 10 will also present Ella Hooper, Richard Clapton, Kate Ceberano, Reece Mastin, The Screaming Jets and James Reyne among others.

Announced on Tuesday, Barnes is taking The Soulmates back on the road throughout February and March with a 14-date tour across NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.

Born into Australian rock royalty and influenced by the music her father recorded and played, Mahalia naturally began singing at a young age.

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As an artist, she's drawn to guitar-driven gutsy soul, rock and blues, and is inspired by acts the likes of Tina Turner and legendary queen of soul Aretha Franklin.

Before the pandemic shut down the live performance industry, Mahalia Barnes and The Soul Mates toured Australia non-stop, playing supports for the likes of US hip hop greats The Roots, Lionel Richie, UK singer James Morrison and gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples.

The Brighter Days Foundation is a charity run by volunteers from Melbourne and Bright.

Formed in 2012 to offer support to children's charities, it all started when musicians Matt Powell, John Nixon and Steve Dundon were asked to play at a backyard awareness gig for the debilitating skin disease Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

Having just ticked over its 10th year, the event has grown into a three-day family fundraising held each year on the Victorian Labour Day long weekend.

It has donated more than $3.3 million to charities, money that is both helping EB sufferers as well as making inroads into finding cures.

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