MOREE singer and musician Kyla-Belle Roberts has been chosen to perform as a feature artist at the 2025 Schools Spectacular event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney later this year.

Fresh from performing at the NSW Department of Education’s NAIDOC Ceremony in Parramatta and Battle on the Bank at Inverell, the Moree Secondary College Year 11 student will take centre stage in front of thousands of spectators across four shows on November 28-29.

Schools Spectacular, produced by The Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education, features the theme Remarkable and will also be broadcast nationally in December.

The event will feature more than 5500 kindergarten to Year 12 students from New South Wales public schools, 600 teachers and nearly 30,000 audience members.
A free outdoor festival – SpecFest – will be held alongside the arena event, with entertainment, food, activations and chill-out zones for the whole family.

There will also be virtual participation to SpecFest, with a Flash Mob involving students across New South Wales.

At 16 years of age, Kyla is taking huge steps as she embarks on her singing career.

Last year, she released her debut single, Scars, co-written in 2023 with David Carter at The CMAA Academy Of Country Music at Tamworth.

Kyla juggles schooling with entertaining, songwriting and recording, and will represent Moree Secondary College with pride at Schools Spectacular in late November.

Kyla said being selected as a featured artist for School Spectacular “is such crazy thought”.

“I feel amazing. It’s going to be a great opportunity, and it also gives me a chance to experience music in new ways,” she said.

Moree’s Kyla-Belle Roberts has been chosen to perform as a feature artist at the 2025 Schools Spectacular event.

Kyla travelled to Sydney with her teacher and aunty, Betty Swan, for auditions.

“We went to Lewisham Public School, and was greeted by warm, welcoming faces and met so many talented students,” Kyla said.

“I’m looking forward to being on the big stage the most, and performing at stadium level to thousands of people will be nerve-wracking, but exciting,” she smiled.

Kyla has been busy performing in recent months, and somehow juggles the workload with schoolwork.

“I’ve had a busy couple of months going back and forth to Sydney, not only preparing for my next single but also for some gigs,” she said.

“I recently played in Parramatta for the NSW Department of Education NAIDOC Celebration – my second performance in Sydney.

“I had such a great time, everyone was so sweet and happily welcomed my sister, Rochelle and myself. I got to meet some of the heads of the department and was sent home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

“Over the next couple of weeks, I have a few more gigs around the place,” she said.

Kyla will perform at South Lismore Bowling Club on Saturday, July 5 and the following week be at Casino for Naidoc celebrations.

She’ll return to Moree and perform at the Amaroo Tavern on Saturday, July 19.

“It feels so great to be doing what I love, as music has taken me places I’ve never been before,” Kyla said.

“I want to thank my parents (Shane and Donna) for taking the time to travel to all my gigs, be alongside me, and getting up on every stage to support me,” she smiled.

Moree Secondary College deputy principal, Stevie Drenkhahn, said the school is “bursting with pride” at the news of Kyla’s selection.

“This incredible honour places Kyla among NSW public schools’ elite young performers, a powerful testament to her phenomenal talent and dedication,” Ms Drenkhahn said.

“Kyla has consistently captivated audiences with her amazing vocal abilities, including this year with her rendition of Celestial by Ed Sheeran and her performance of Bohemian Rhapsody at Moree Secondary College’s MADD – Music, Art, Dance and Drama – which was masterfully accompanied by Rayma Honour for her first Year 11 Music 1 assessment.

“Kyla’s talent was further recognised when she was specially selected to sing and open the Department of Education’s NAIDOC Week celebrations this term,” she said.

“As one of her teachers, I’ve had the privilege of watching Kyla develop from a captivating child performer at Moree Superstar into the truly talented vocalist she is today.

“Music teachers at Moree Secondary College have diligently facilitated performance opportunities throughout school life. However, Kyla deserves all the credit for the countless hours of practice and dedication she has invested,” she said.

Ms Drenkhahn said Moree Secondary College and the wider community are incredibly fortunate to have one of their own representing Moree on such a grand stage and making such a significant, positive impact.

“Kyla’s journey to the Schools Spectacular is an inspiration for our MSC students, and embodies the spirit of excellence we champion,” Ms Drenkhahn said.

Kyla-Belle Roberts entertaining at the Gomeroi Markets earlier this year.

To wholeheartedly show support, Moree Secondary College will take a group of students to Sydney in November to watch Kyla shine.

“We encourage everyone to join us in congratulating Kyla and wishing her the very best for her rehearsals and the spectacular performances – we simply cannot wait to cheer her on,” Ms Drenkhahn said.

Moree Secondary College arts co-ordination officer for the New England and North West Region, Leigh Carroll, said Kyla’s Schools Spectacular journey began with a video audition earlier this year.

“From there, she was selected to attend a live audition in Tamworth in March,” Mr Carroll said.

“Kyla was then shortlisted from students from across the state to perform at a final audition in Sydney.

“Her successful audition put he among a handful of talented vocalists who will perform at Qudos Bank Arena in November,” he said.

“Over the coming months, Kyla will work with mentors and industry professionals in preparation for the show.”

Mr Carroll said Kyla’s Schools Spectacular selection is a remarkable and well-deserved achievement.

“The depth of Kyla’s talent is something well-known to our community, and it’s wonderful to think she will now have the opportunity to share this with such a large audience,” he said.

“Schools Spectacular is such an iconic event that showcases the talents of performing arts students in New South Wales public education.”

Schools Spectacular is supported by Telstra, NSW Teachers Federation, School Bytes, Smartsalary, Teachers Health, Woolworths, Stormer Music, Qudos Bank Arena, Seven Network and Ticketek.

There will be four shows over two days, at 11am and 7pm on Friday, November 28 and at 1pm and 7pm on Saturday, November 29.

Tickets available here: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=SCHOOLSS25