A trumpet welcome among arriving guests. An instrumental soundtrack over dinner. An eight-piece band, a guest set with Rob Mills and a dance floor to finish. At A Bear Affair 2026, the music moved with the evening, always with the cause at its heart.
On 1 August 2026, Event Entertainers worked with Good PR & Events to bring Dom Diaz and Tequila Mockingbird to the Sydney Events Centre at The Star Sydney. Around 500 guests gathered for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation gala, celebrating 25 years of Bear Cottage.
A celebration with a purpose
Bear Cottage provides respite and end-of-life care for children with life-limiting conditions, alongside support for their families. Its 25th anniversary gave this year’s A Bear Affair a particular significance: a chance for the community to come together, recognise that care and help support its future.
That purpose shaped the entertainment brief. The evening needed room for conversation, fundraising and formalities, as well as a proper celebration. Each performance had its own place in the running order.
Dom Diaz on trumpet: a welcome that moved through the room
Dom Diaz opened the evening with a roaming trumpet performance as guests arrived. Dom brought the music into the arrival space, playing among guests as they caught up and settled in.
It was a personal, lively start to a large-scale gala. A solo performance gave this first part of the evening its own character before the focus moved into the main room.
Tequila Mockingbird, from dinner to the dance floor
Tequila Mockingbird began with an instrumental dinner set, bringing live music into the room while leaving space for conversation. For an event with an important fundraising purpose, that balance matters: the entertainment needs to respond to what is happening around it.
Later, the full eight-piece lineup stepped into party mode. With the formal part of the evening making way for dancing, the band could bring its vocals, rhythm section and live performance energy to the foreground.
A guest set with Rob Mills
The final party set also featured a guest appearance from Rob Mills, joining Tequila Mockingbird on stage. It gave the closing chapter another lift, with Rob and the band sharing the spotlight as guests gathered on the dance floor.
These photographs tell that part of the story particularly well: the connection between the performers, the crowd close to the stage and the shift from a seated gala to a shared celebration.
What the client noticed
Olivia Bigeni, Signature Events Officer at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation, described Tequila Mockingbird’s performance as “keeping the energy high and the dance floor full throughout the evening.”
Her feedback also recognised the team’s professionalism, flexibility and support for the cause. For an event team managing a charity gala, the experience of working with the musicians matters alongside what happens on stage.
Planning live music around your event
A Bear Affair shows how different live music formats can work together across one evening. Dom’s arrival performance, Tequila Mockingbird’s instrumental dinner set and the full band’s closing party each served a different moment.
If you are planning a gala or fundraising event, bring your running order into the entertainment conversation early. Share the moments that need attention, the spaces where guests will gather and the atmosphere you want at each stage.
As working musicians, Tim and Josie bring that practical perspective to every brief. Send us your date, venue and the outline of your evening, and we’ll recommend entertainment that fits.
Photography: Blake Photographic.
