The Big Issue is celebrating the 600th edition of its street magazine with a special commemorative issue, on sale now!

The edition features a special retrospective of vendor profiles and stories, as well as interviews with Antonio Banderas, Liam Gallagher, Anna Funder and our cover stars Cold Chisel ahead of their summer tour. The edition also marks a refresh in the design of the magazine with a few changes to the layout and extra vendor content.

The Big Issue magazine started in Melbourne on 16 June 1996, where a small group sold the magazine on the steps of Flinders Street Station. Today a network of over 500 vendors sell the magazine nationally, and in the magazine’s 23-year history more than 12 million copies have been sold. Vendors purchase the magazine for $4.50 and sell them for $9, gaining employment and earning a meaningful income.

The Big Issue CEO Steven Persson comments on the landmark achievement;

“We are extremely proud of the legacy and impact that The Big Issue and its vendors have built over the years. From our beginnings in 1996 our vendors have earned more than $30 million – a remarkable and empowering figure.

“600 editions of our magazine represents countless interviews, photos and stories, but more importantly, represents thousands of lives changed for the better.”

Cover photo: Our beautiful 600 cartoon, designed by Andrew Weldon