Fans under 18-years-of-age are welcome to attend the party at Stuart Park on February 12 – which also features Harts, Ocean Alley and Sahara Beck – as long as they’re accompanied by an adult.

Rudd said it’s been too long since he last played in the Illawarra and couldn’t wait to feel the “vibe” again.

“It’s a working class town and I came from that sort of vibe, I always find those towns seem pretty real,” he said.

Rudd’s recently returned from a 28-date sold out European tour, with a new Live in the Netherlands album to be released early next year as a result.

“I first started going to Europe five years ago … and it was a real buzz,” he said.

“There’s a lot of people interested in indigenous Australia in Europe and a lot of people are very across the history.

“There’s a lot of appreciation for the cultural thing that we bring.”

Rudd said that should inspire all Australians to be more curious about their own country, while he’s happy he’s been able to inspire people in a similar way through his music and song-writing.

“I remember when starting out almost 20 years ago, it was almost awkward. White people in Australia didn’t know how to identify with Aboriginal culture,” he said.

“Nowadays people are proud and people are showing that they can identity and feel comfortable with it.”

Xavier Rudd and The Cat Empire play at Stuart Park, February 12. Tickets available through www.xavierrudd.com