Hunters Hill musician Cate Guirguis has become an official Guinness World Record holder after she and fellow Fathom member Jaxon Italiano completed nine concerts across nine cities in 12 hours.
On 12 September 2026, the pair travelled from Singleton to Canberra, performing in Newcastle, Gosford, Sydney, Penrith, Lithgow, Bathurst and Goulburn along the way. Guinness World Records has since confirmed Guirguis and Italiano as the record holders for the most concerts performed in 12 hours across multiple cities.
From Boronia Park to the record books
Guirguis was among the performers listed for Hunters Hill’s 2026 Moocooboola Festival at Boronia Park before setting out on the record attempt. The festival program included the Cate Guirguis Band alongside school ensembles, dance groups and other community performers.
Hunters Hill News had earlier reported on Guirguis preparing for the challenge, which also raised money for mental-health support. Guirguis and Italiano perform together as the Sydney-based duo Fathom, with Guinness now listing both musicians as holders of the record.
Nine concerts with almost no time to spare
The record rules required at least nine performances of 15 minutes each, with venues at least 50 kilometres apart and population requirements applying to the locations. Reaching all nine stops required road and air travel as the musicians moved from the Hunter through Sydney and regional NSW before finishing in Canberra.
The first five performances ran close to schedule before transport problems began cutting into the remaining time. Fathom said a helicopter transfer from Penrith was delayed while the scheduled pilot was assisting with bushfires. Italiano also left his keyboard power cable behind in Penrith and was unable to play the instrument during the next three shows.
Another setback came at Bathurst when a problem with the planned aircraft forced the pair to change planes. After reaching Goulburn, they continued by road to Canberra and completed the final concert with about 15 seconds remaining in the 12-hour window.
Record run also backed mental-health fundraising
The marathon was also used to raise money for Beyond Blue. Guinness World Records says Guirguis and Italiano pursued the attempt to support mental-health services and encourage greater involvement in Sydney’s music culture.
Fathom reported that more than $2,900 had been raised directly for Beyond Blue at the time of its release, with half of tour ticket proceeds also allocated to the organisation. The other half was earmarked for bands supporting Fathom during the tour.
Record day produced a new single
Fathom released Record Breakers on the same day as the nine-show challenge, linking the new song to the project. The duo has continued performing since the record attempt, with further shows scheduled during October.
A free Sydney performance is scheduled at The Lansdowne in Chippendale on 14 October, with Fathom appearing alongside Flyss, DAC Flow and Stereobuss.
Published 7-Oct-2026
