Country music star Zach Bryan is on fire right now, and he’s on his way to Australia for the first time to play a one-off show in Melbourne for the Always Live festival on Saturday December 9.

Due to be held at Catani Gardens on St Kilda Beach, the gig was moved to Flemington Racecourse to accommodate “the overwhelming response to the presale sign-up”, a spokesperson for Always Live told Broadsheet. “It’s been huge!”

Presale is available from 12pm on Thursday October 5, with general release tickets on sale at 12pm Friday October 6. Fans can find a presale link here. The all-ages event requires those under 18 to attend with a guardian.

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The former US Navy officer has been on the country scene for several years, with viral success on YouTube, but has blown up around the world in recent months after his self-titled second studio album went to the top of the Billboard album charts in the United States.

The album, Zach Bryan, is propelled by its lead single, I Remember Everything, a duet with fellow country crossover star Kacey Musgraves. It’s an endlessly repeatable ballad full of “rot gut whisky” and a “Labrador hangin' out the passenger door” that topped the Hot 100 singles chart. It’s now sitting at number nine on the Spotify Australia singles chart, with the album at number seven.

Bryan has also collaborated with the likes of Bon Iver and Maggie Rogers, and made headlines after being arrested for a traffic offence in his home state of Oklahoma.

Victorian music initiative Always Live debuted last year with a program of 150 artists including Dua Lipa and Nick Cave, and returns for 2023 with another huge line-up.

The 2023 program includes more than 165 artists across 60-plus events – from Brunswick to Ballarat, Wodonga to Warrnambool – including stadium shows, one-off gigs and intimate performances. It’ll span 17 days, from November 24 to December 10.

The series kicks off with a one-night-only show by pop icon Christina Aguilera. The open-air concert – at Flemington Racecourse on Saturday November 25 – will be the singer’s first time performing in Australia in 15 years.

Find the full program and ticket information online at alwayslive.com.au.

This story was updated on Thursday October 5. Additional reporting by Daniela Frangos.