Ability Fest Is Taking Over The Timber Yard This Weekend — We Chat with Dylan Alcott About Shaping a Truly Accessible Dance Floor
Set to deliver its first fully electronic lineup, Ability Fest sees Dylan Alcott push accessibility further to build a better, more inclusive live music scene.
When Dylan Alcott started going to festivals back in the day, the idea of accessibility and inclusion was barely even on the radar of most venues and promoters. Now, on the eve of the next instalment of Ability Fest, the multi-hyphenate star has not only helped push the music industry in the right direction, but has also kick-started the conversation for how events big and small are conceived in Australia and even around the world.
"I was very lucky growing up that I had, and still have, the ability to go to music festivals. It was one of the places that no one cared about my disability — it was just people coming together regardless of their differences to enjoy live music," says Alcott to Concrete Playground. "But to think you and I would be talking eight years later, having raised over $1.5 million and had 20 or 30 thousand people come to our event, I couldn't have imagined it."
Launched in 2018 to help normalise disability, boost inclusivity and simply deliver a ripper day out, Ability Fest 2026 is taking over The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne for what might be its biggest and best event yet. A new challenge for Alcott and his partners — this will be Ability Fest's debut warehouse party — the festival's changing location to date proves that creating an accessible event at this scale is possible, whether you're hosting it on a sports ground, a riverbank or in a 1500-capacity industrial-style rave cave.
Happening on Saturday, April 11, Ability Fest 2026 will feature its first fully electronic lineup, leaning into the venue's booming techno aesthetic. With the programming curated alongside Untitled Group, expect huge sets from the likes of PNAU, Logic1000 and Ollie Lishman. Meanwhile, it's a chance to catch DJ Cooper Smith, an early recipient of a Dylan Alcott Foundation grant, who now performs to huge audiences across Australia and overseas while living with cerebral palsy.
Alongside rising creative stars like Dewbs, helping these massive talents achieve their dreams is one of the most satisfying outcomes of Dylan's work. "They both played to sell-out crowds at Ability Fest, and they both now tour around the country, and Cooper plays around the globe. How fucking cool is that? They're booking shows not because they have a disability, but because they have so much talent," says Alcott.
Embedded from the beginning, accessibility and inclusion shape Ability Fest, from upgrading the built environment to attracting punters with $60 tickets. Of course, catering to the full spectrum of disabilities is far from simple — and Dylan readily says there's still more work to do — but the event shows that music festivals can and should be for everyone. That means elevated viewing platforms, wayfinding technology, Auslan interpreters at the bars and sensory rooms for those who need a break, just for a start. What's more, there are even fully haptic suits that vibrate to the tunes.
"And you know what's so cool about the suits? They're not just for deaf people, but for everyone. It's such a cool opportunity for people to try something new. Accessibility when done right means everyone benefits, not just disabled people," says Alcott. "If you'd asked me six years ago about any of that stuff, I would have had no idea, so it's about investing, listening, learning and trying to do better every time."
Importantly, Ability Fest is not just a party for people with disabilities; it's for anyone looking for a good time, where a universal love for music doesn't have to be broken up with unnecessary hurdles. Beyond the money raised and the young people supported across the country, Alcott says the festival's greatest legacy is inspiring others to strive for more. For instance, the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix have worked alongside Ability Fest to help level up the way they conceive their events, making accessibility and inclusion just part of the everyday experience.
However, for those events and spaces waiting to take the leap forward, Dylan says this hesitation often isn't due to a lack of care, but a fear of getting things wrong. For them, his advice is simple: start somewhere and start early. By listening to people's lived experience, investing in the right places and communicating openly and clearly, the 5.5 million Australians living with disability will pay them back in spades, through increased ticket sales and a richer, more engaging event.
"People want to attend events with a cross-section of the community, and if one in five Australians has a disability, having that diversity is vital. I think some people hit a barrier and put it in the too-hard basket," says Alcott. "I won't sit here and say we've completely nailed it; there's obviously room for improvement. If you're an event organiser, it'd be awesome if you did everything Ability Fest does. But more importantly, it's really just about starting somewhere, and you'll see the huge benefits of doing it."
Ability Fest 2026 is happening Saturday, April 11, at The Timber Yard, 351 Plummer St, Port Melbourne. Head to the website for tickets and more information.
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