Ability Fest 2019

Overview

After a sellout inaugural event last year, Australia's most inclusive music festival is back for 2019 — with a killer lineup in tow. Run by sports and radio legend Dylan Alcott and Untitled (the entertainment group behind Beyond The Valley and Pitch Music & Arts), Ability Fest caters to everyone, regardless of gender, disability, age or race. It also won Best New Event in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards.

With Ability Fest, Alcott's set out to both normalise disability and help boost inclusivity across all areas of the music industry. With 20 percent of Aussies living with a physical or intellectual disability, it's high time an event like this was added to the festival calendar.

A massive lineup for the 2019 event dropped today, which includes Aussie electronic duo The Presets, throwback DJ Hot Dub Time Machine and ARC — a rock supergroup with members of Spiderbait, Jet, You Am I, The Wrights and Powderfinger. All artists are donating their time.

Melbourne's Coburg Velodrome is being transformed into a fully accessible live music venue for the event, complete with a bunch of viewing platforms for those in wheelchairs, quiet spaces and AUSLAN translators for all acts on the main stage.

Ability Fest is hoping to raise over $200,000 through ticket sales and donations, with all of it headed directly to the Dylan Alcott Foundation. This will then be used to offer mentoring, scholarships and grants to marginalised young Australians with disabilities.

ABILITY FEST 2019 LINEUP

ARC
Arroyo
Basenji
Bec Grenfell
Boogs
E^ST
Eliza Hull
Hot Dub Time Machine
Interstella Fugitives
Jasper James
Jordan Brando
Joyride
Kim Churchill
Liz Cambage
Luca Brasi
Market Memories
Northeast Party House
Rudely Interrupted
The Presets
Total Giovanni DJs
Waxo Paradiso

You can register for pre-sale here before 3pm on Tuesday, March 12. General tickets go on sale at midday on Wednesday, March 13.

Images: Kate Shanasy, Jayden Ostwald and Alex Drewniak.