All the Best Music Festivals Happening in Melbourne and Around Victoria This Summer
From camping festivals with with farm feels to a one-day inner city dance parties, this list has something for every musical inclination (and intensity).
All the Best Music Festivals Happening in Melbourne and Around Victoria This Summer
From camping festivals with with farm feels to a one-day inner city dance parties, this list has something for every musical inclination (and intensity).
When it comes to summer, Australia hits it out of the park. Proof? Just look at how many high-quality festivals are held in the sunny months. From camping festivals with a secret lineup in a dairy farm, to a one-day inner city dance parties, there's pretty much something for every inclination (and intensity) this summer.
And with all the frivolity and letting loose that happens on festival grounds, it's forgivable to forget who'll be gracing the stages. The 2018–19 season shows off an incredible crowd of Aussie musicians, with names almost eclipsing the international talent they'll be playing alongside. Courtney Barnett, Gang of Youths and Flight Facilities are a representation of the hundreds of Aussies doing the rounds, joined by international artists such as Cardi B, Anderson .Paak and Nicki Minaj headlining.
But it's not just about the music. There'll be no shortage of visual art and the food offerings, like every year, are more and more gourmet and accommodating to dietaries (even at some of the more remote locations).
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It’s been 14 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Thankfully, Laneway Festival has just confirmed it will be heading back to its collection of unconventional venues for another year, revealing its jam-packed 2019 lineup.
Returning to Melbourne next February, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with one heck of a lineup. This year’s eclectic program is headlined by two huge Aussie names: indie rock group Gang of Youths and acclaimed singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett. A few big artists are heading Down Under for the first time, too, including English R&B superstar Jorja Smith, neo-soul singer Rex Orange County and American rapper Denzel Curry. You’ll also be able to get down to Camp Cope, Middle Kids and Mitski and sway along to Mansionair, What So Not and Skeggs. If you want to catch Jorja Smith and NYC rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, you’ll have to head along to Laneway — they’ll both be playing exclusively at the festival, with no sideshows.
This year, the Melbourne leg of the festival will be heading to its new location for the first time: Footscray Park. Its a bigger space, but, supposedly, won’t have an increased capacity — so, hopefully that’ll mean less lines and more room for dancing. But, enough chit-chat — here’s the full 2019 lineup.
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Meredith is a festival where you’re guaranteed to have a good time, no matter what. But whatever your reasons for heading to the three-day December festival in central Victoria, you won’t be disappointed with the acts Aunty Meredith has announced for this year’s lineup.
Indigenous ‘bush band’ Mumbali will be making the trip from Numbulwar in regional NT, and local musician Laura Jean (who recently got the seal of approval from Lorde via Twitter before she deleted all her social posts) will be making her first appearance at The Sup. Aussie acts including Sampa The Great, Pond, Mildlife and The Presets will complement international talent, like Zanzibar-born Mim Suleiman, who will bring a collision of afrobeats disco, deep house and soul to Meredith from the UK.
This year’s also full of throwbacks. The Pixies’ Kim Deal will bring twin sister Kelley and her band The Breeders to play from the band’s new album (and hopefully some oldies from Pod, too).Ed Kuepper will resurrect the energy of his 70s Brissie band The Saints with his new group The Aints, and Mental As Anything — which also had its heyday in the 70s — will take to the stage on Saturday afternoon.
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FOMO — Australia’s clash-free, one-day summer festival — is back for a fourth year. This year, it’s making its return to Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, and bringing the full festival to Melbourne for the first time ever. Leading the program is famed American-Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, who released her high-energy, highly acclaimed fourth album Queen just last month — which features everyone from The Weeknd to Ariana Grande, Eminem and Lil Wayne.
Hot on her heels is Mississippi’s Rae Sremmurd, the hip-hop trio best-known for its chart-topping hit ‘Black Beatles’ made in collaboration with Gucci Mane. Meanwhile, Florida’s Lil Pump is heading Down Under for the first time, bringing hits ‘Gucci Gang’, ‘Esskeetit’ and songs from his yet-to-be released album Harvard Dropout, and electro music producer Mura Masa will break up the hip hop and rap with his disco tunes. Also on the schedule is Kali Uchis, making her Australian debut and performing hits off her widely acclaimed album Isolation, along with the mononymous avant-garde Sophie, Australia’s own Anna Lunoe, and Dutch experimental artist San Holo, among others.
FOMO will take over Flemington Racecourse on Sunday, January 13. $1 from every sale is going to refugee charity Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and, if you can’t afford your ticket in one fell swoop, you can opt for a payment plan, which lets you pay it off via monthly instalments.
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If Falls seems a little too large for your liking, but you’re still looking for a sweet escape from the city, then NYE on the Hill might be just what you need. Brought to you by the legends behind the equally awesome The Hills Are Alive festival, this boutique NYE experience is small on scale but big on good vibes. And it’s returning to The Farm in South Gippsland, for its sixth year, with a lineup of top Aussie artists.
Forty-eight hours of freedom never looked so blissful, with the likes of The Smith Street Band, Sampa the Great, The Kite String Tangle and many more dropping in to help you welcome 2019. A word of warning: the festival is limited to 2700 people and tickets sell out — fast.
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Helping to ring in the art and music festival’s 26th year is a pretty buzzworthy gang of musical mates headlined by American rapper Anderson .Paak. He’ll be taking the stage with his band The Free Nationals, and performing hits off his Grammy Award-nominated album Malibu and maybe a tune or two off his highly anticipated third album, Oxnard Ventura.
He’s joined on the bill by big names like UK foursome Catfish and The Bottlemen, who’ll be debuting some fresh new material at their only Aussie show; Australia’s own Vance Joy; Scottish synth-pop trio Chvrches, who’ll also be here for NYD celebration Field Day; Interpol, fresh off the back of their new album release, Marauder; and Toto. Toto. Yes, the American rock band behind the masterpiece that is ‘Africa’ is heading to Falls. While you’re feeling nostalgic, you’ll also be able to hit up Hilltop Hoods — call dad.
True to form, the Falls 2018 local lineup is equally exciting, and every bit as broad. Homegrown acts hitting the stage include the dance-ready Flight Facilities, Melbourne’s psychedelic King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Sydney producer Touch Sensitive, Gold Coast native Amy Shark and Heaps Gay DJs & Friends back for another year.
This year, too, an impressive 48 percent of acts performing have female artists and, while it’s not quite half — and there are still lots of other minority groups that are underrepresented — it’s a start. As always, the tunes are backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats.
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Got your New Year’s Eve plans sorted? How about New Year’s Day, then? Every year, on the first day of January, party-goers with stamina flock to Coburg Velodrome for Freedom Time, a one-day multi-stage festival filled with acts from both home and away. The organisers have teamed up with Wax’o Paradiso and Skylab Radio to curate a variety of genres, from progressive funk and ’80s-influenced pop to ambient and future soul.
Among the artists travelling from abroad to usher in 2019 are DJ Donna Leake (UK), who’s done quite a bit of time at London’s renowned sushi-meets-electronica venue Brilliant Corners; Dam-FUNK (US), whose devotion to progressive funk has been total since the 1990s; and DJ duo Alex Rita and Errol (UK), whose mixing visits jazz, soul and broken beat. From here in Australia, look out for future soul band Hiatus Kaiyote, who’ve scored two Grammy nominations; Sydney-based ambient duo Angophora; and, also hailing from Sydney, 80s pop god Donny Benet.
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Melburnians will have two outdoor electronica festivals to choose from come January 1, 2019. This year, joining Werribee Park’s Let Them Eat Cake is Sidney Myer Music Bowl’s The First — a multi-stage music festival dedicated to live electronic, hip hop, house and techno that’ll take over the Kings Domain this New Year’s Day. Run by Montreal-based festival host Piknic Électronik and Australia’s electronic music guru Hardware Group, the festival is a hangover party you don’t need to travel out of town for. Among the festival’s stages is one dedicated to Piknic Électronic and it’ll kick off the brand’s fifth season of weekly-mini festivals in Melbourne (the dates of which have not yet been released).
The headliners for the inaugural NYD festival include heavy-hitting rap queen M.I.A, Australian dance royalty The Presets and New York hip-hop artist Action Bronson, along with Banoffee, Bloody Mary, Bob Moses, KiNK, Krystal Klear, Max Cooper, Nastia and SG Lewis. The full lineup of local and international acts hasn’t been announced just yet, so stay tuned for more. While you’re there, visual art, food trucks and booze-a-plenty will be on the docket, too. -
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If you’re citybound and missing out on New Year’s Eve festivals like Falls and Beyond The Valley this year, don’t fret. Let Them Eat Cake is your inner city solution to satisfy those festival urges. Held on New Year’s Day at Werribee Park, LTEC is not only great for the music, but also plays host to installation art, open-air exhibitions and some killer food offerings. But back to what you’re all here for: the music.
This year’s lineup is headed by Irish electro duo Bicep, best known for their self-titled 2017 album. On the program you’ll also find futuristic German house from Motor City Drum Ensemble, graceful sounds and visuals from UK’s Ama Lou — who’s in the midst of creating and co-producing a three-part film and EP — catchy dance tunes from Australia’s own CC:Disco! and chilled vibes from Nightmares on Wax, whose career spans twenty years and features 95’s Smokers Delight and this year’s Shape the Future. While you’re there — shaking off your hangover — you’ll also have the chance to dance to Moxie, Midland, Peggy Gou and Chaos In The CBD. Have your cake and eat it too, guys — you’ve earned it this year.
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The Pleasure Garden returns on December 8, painting St Kilda’s Catani Gardens with colour, art installations, roving performers and, of course, some huge beats. A heady mix of Rainbow Serpent, Glastonbury and every other time you’ve had an impromptu sweaty day dance party with your mates (costumes mandatory), the festival, though only in its third year, knows exactly what it’s doing.
The small festival packs a lot of punch, with five different stages and zones to flit between across the day. Get into recognisable tracks on the Conservatory Stage, where The Temper Trap and Xavier Rudd will play throughout the day. Then you can get into some deep house at the Beach Club, into some reggae at Bass Station and, later, dance it up at the House Party area.
And once you’ve flailed around to Confidence Man and itched in your costume for a while, there’ll be plenty to revive your sweaty self with some of the city’s best food trucks joining the lineup. There’ll also be roving performers, art installations, market stalls and chill out spots for a break for when you wan a break from the bass. Best part? Tickets are under 100 bucks.
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If you’re a fan of tasteful tunes and exuberant summer vibes that don’t bruise the budget, the annual St Kilda Festival should be at the top of your summer bucket list. The nation’s largest free music festival returns to St Kilda’s foreshore for its 39th year, bringing eight stages of live music and a tonne of food stalls and interactive workshops stretching from Catani Gardens to the south end of Acland Street.
As well as bangin’ tunes, the air will be filled with the scent of delicious eats emanating from more than 100 food vendors. There’ll be everything from curry to burgers, ribs and sushi — providing plenty of sustenance for all that dancing. You’ll also need energy if you plan on attending one of the festival’s free activities. The music lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but for more information, visit the website.
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Kicking off on Valentine’s Day, Babylon carries you deep into the Victorian wilderness. You’ll find this festival hidden away in Stuart Mill Nature Conservation Reserve, around two and a half hours northwest of Melbourne. It’s a magical experience, where you can count on unexpected happenings, immersive installations and alternative realities. Roving performers – armed with musical instruments, decked in fantastical costumes and bearing artworks – are a major element in the program.
Meanwhile, an array of stages host a constant stream of Australian and international music acts, playing techno, house, spy-trance, electronica and ambient. Whatever mood you’re in, there’s a spot for you. Among 2019’s artists are techno DJ Amelie Lens (Belgium), dance floor master Bjarki (Iceland), trip-hoppers Earthling (UK) and psychedelic trancer Laughing Buddha (UK), among stacks of others. Take your own tent or van, or book a spot in a luxury bell tent in Babylon’s Alpha Camp.
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Fancy prancing through fields laced with the charm of provincial France? It’s just casual summer weekendery when So Frenchy So Chic is in town. The ever-popular one-day French festival is waltzing back to Melbourne’s Werribee Park Mansion for its eight year running on Sunday, January 13.
If you haven’t been before, expect an entire afternoon of French-inspired niceties, including (but not limited to) gourmet picnic hampers, tartlets and terrines, offensively good wine and croquet all to a chill French soundtrack. So Frenchy hinges around a solid lineup of eclectic artists you may be yet to meet — and this year, they’re all female. Parisian solo artist — and former Nouvelle Vague frontwoman — Camille will top the lineup, returning to Australia for her first shows since 2011. Her most recent album was recorded in a 14th century monastery, which might give you a bit of an idea of what to expect from her otherworldly live set. Don’t miss electronic pop trio Yelle, either — the group has performed at Coachella three times and its music is played in venues across France. Other on the lineup is up-and-comer Clara Luciani and jazz pop artist Cleéa Vincent.
If you’re not the most organised of picnickers, So Frenchy is putting on the works again with fancy picnic boxes and cheese plates. Filled with stuffed baguettes, niçoise salads, mini créme brûlées and goose egg meringues, the picnic boxes are one to preorder if you don’t want to miss out. But So Frenchy won’t let you go hungry; there’ll be a huge banquet of seafood, charcuterie, crepes and more available on the day. And of course, there’ll be plenty of Laurent Perrier Champagne, French beer, and rosé, red and whites whines as well. Early bird tickets are now on sale for $82 a pop. If you’ve got kids, you’ll be happy to know that the whole thing is very family friendly, and children under 12 can get in for free.
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