The gig called ‘Break Down The Stigma’ aims to increase awareness of mental health, and will feature a 12 local and national metal, punk and indie bands who will rock the city square from 2pm until 10pm.

October is Mental Health Month and the theme this year is ‘Learn and Grow’.

Break Down The Stigma is a youth driven and organised event in partnership with High Gain Entertainment and headspace Coffs Harbour.

It aims to raise awareness about youth mental health issues and where young people can get support through local services. One-in-four young Australians will experience a mental health issue and most of them will not seek help. There are many reasons why, but stigma plays a major role. New research has found that 26 per cent of young people aged 12–25 would not tell anyone about a personal mental health issue, while 22 per cent would be unlikely or very unlikely to discuss it with their family doctor.

It also found that 52 per cent of young people were embarrassed to discuss a mental health problem with anyone and nearly half were afraid of what others would think.