THOUSANDS of music fans descended on Bendigo Racecourse on Saturday to hear big name Australian acts on the Red Hot Summer Tour.

The event was headlined by quintessential Australian rockers Icehouse, along with other favourites including James Reyne, Daryl Braithwaite, Pseudo Echo and Dragon.

After a wet Friday the ground was a bit soggy underfoot, but ticket holders were treated to a mild and sunny Saturday afternoon to enjoy the nostalgic sounds of some of the country’s biggest hits from the 1970s, 80s and 90s, as well as the more recent music of Shannon Noll and Kyneton musician Taylor Sheridan.

Cheryl Parsons and Genine McHugh, both from Castlemaine, were among the music lovers in the crowd.

Both women were excited to hear the music of their “heyday”.

Mrs McHugh cited Pseudo Echo and Icehouse as her most-anticipated acts, with Icehouse also a favourite of Ms Parsons.

But the song they most wanted to hear was Pseudo Echo’s catchy cover of Funky Town, which had almost the entire crowd on their feet and singing along when the band played it to end their set.

For the Mrs McHugh and Ms Parsons, one of the best aspects of the concert was that it was held so close to home.

“It’s great to have something in Bendigo,” Mrs McHugh said.

Regional Touring promoter Duane McDonald described the weekend’s event as “fantastic”.

“All went well, it was great, and the weather was kind to us,” Mr McDonald said.

He said the crowd at the weekend numbered about 4000 people, which was a 30 per cent increase on 2016, although being held over Easter last year had some impact on numbers.

While the tour was aimed at the baby boomer generation, Mr McDonald said it was “amazing” how broad the fan base was.

He said the bands and their songs held this enduring popularity because they had been such big hits when originally released.

It was the second time the concert series had come to Bendigo and Mr McDonald said it would return again next year, even bigger, with planning getting under way.