New Year's Eve at North Gong Hotel isn't just another party. It's an Illawarra institution.
Year after year, the venue throws down one of the region's biggest and best celebrations, and as 2025 ticks over into 2026, the tradition continues with a stacked three-stage line-up.
At the top of the bill? Chillinit, the Sydney rapper whose journey from underground mixtapes to festival stages has made him one of the most recognisable and relatable voices in Australian hip hop.
For Blake Turnell – the man behind the moniker – the timing couldn't be better. He's fresh off releasing 'Lost For Words', a song that finds him in rare form: vulnerable, reflective, and honest about the challenges that come with success, sobriety, and fatherhood.
"Sometimes I've found myself lost for words when I was kind of the kid that always had answers – and that's okay," he says. "It's just a part of life and growth and taking on more responsibilities as a man."
'Lost For Words' marks a shift for Chillinit. Known for chaos and rapid-fire bars, he's now opening the door on quieter moments – the self-doubts, the bad days, the daily grind of raising a family while steering a career that rarely slows down.
"I might be successful in so many things, like 500 million streams or whatever – but how's my emotional stability? How do I handle stress in the family home?" he asks.
"Those are things I'm working on at the moment. . . I wanted to put a message out that you don't always need answers, you just need to stick together. You just got to ride it out, ride the storms, and it leads to good days."
Sobriety has sharpened that perspective. "I've put down the bottle. I realised it's unserved me," he says. "Since then I've had a lot of clarity. I feel like there's a new person evolving with each day of that."
That clarity has been matched by fatherhood, which has reshaped the way he sees the world. "When you have children, you then realise that everything you do affects them as well and all your choices are now secondary reactions for them," he explains. "So you start to distance yourself from anything negative."
His circle is smaller now – just family and the "420 fam" – but his mission has grown. "If young me could see me now, I think he'd just have his jaw on the floor," he admits. "I try to remind myself of that every day – to be proud of where I am, who I am, and the things I've achieved."
That growth, he says, comes with a responsibility to show the next generation that vulnerability isn't weakness. "I didn't have anyone that showed me that. . . so if I can share that with my people, that's where I hit every market. That's where I get the 17-year-old kid going 'you inspire me', and the 35-year-old dad going, 'bro, I feel you'."
Growth aside, Chillinit is still about the grind. His All Aussie Adventures tour – a 24-date run across regional Australia – that kicks off late October, barrels all the way to New Year's Eve in Wollongong, and continues into January finishing off in Dunsborough in WA.
"We've loaded up a van, we're getting the family and we're going out to towns that probably don't get big acts that care to come there," he says. "Rural Australia is the backbone of Australia that we don't talk about."
He's promising something different this time: sets that swing from chaos to connection. "These shows will be different to anything I've done before," he says. "They'll have moments that are a roller coaster – high energy to tears and lighters, to hugs and kisses to mosh pits. I recommend you don't miss out."
For diehard fans, his free meet-and-greets remain a cornerstone of the Chillinit experience. "These people have just spent X, Y, and Z on me and my merch," he says. "If I can give them a five-minute handshake and a hug, who am I not to?"
However, all roads lead to North Gong on 31 December, where Chillinit will step onto the main stage alongside homegrown heroes The Terrys and Sydney alt-rock heavyweights RedHook. Across three stages – including UK DJ duo Switch Disco in the beer garden – the event promises to be a send-off for the ages.
"I'm definitely looking forward to [Wollongong] the most," Chillinit says. "I've always had an affiliation and love for Wollongong. Just to be doing New Year's Eve there, and then with The Terrys as well – I'm a full Terrys fan; it's so authentically, organically Australian.
"Personally, 20-year-old me would be going, 'that's where I want to be on New Year's Eve'. So I'm so happy to be a part of it."
He's bringing his wife and son too, which makes the night even more meaningful. "The fact I'm going to be bringing in the new year with a bunch of people from Wollongong in a packed-out place with The Terrys, with my wife, with my son – I just can't wait," he says. "We're going to peak right for that midnight clock."
'Lost For Words' is only chapter one. Chillinit teases a summer smash with an as-yet-unrevealed collaborator, produced by Nerve – a reunion fans of his 'Big Boy Bars' have been waiting years for. He's already got plans stretching well into 2026, with new projects, features, and tours lined up.
However, first comes Wollongong, New Year's Eve, and the chance to let it all out. "When you love what you do, it's not work," he laughs. "I see it as: hurry up and get me to this Wollongong show ASAP. That's how I'm thinking."
Tickets are on sale.
North Gong Hotel's NYEextravaganza (Wollongong) takes place on 31 December. Chillinit will be joined by The Terrys, RedHook, Switch Disco and much more.
