The Gum Ball

Overview

The Gum Ball boasts that it is the best bush party around, a pretty big claim for any Australian music festival. The boutique music, arts and camping festival, now in its seventh year and held two and half hours north-west of Sydney in the Hunter Valley, prides itself on being family friendly and features a remarkably diverse line up of Australian acts.

The festival stretches over one weekend at the end of April and features 22 acts. Headlined by Maori dub-step/reggae group KORA, the lineup is rounded out with acts as various as C.W Stoneking and his Primitive Horns, The Vasco Era, Lanie Lane, The Bamboos, Space Invadas and Papa Vs Pretty. The live music comes alongside onsite camping, market stalls, a silent disco, fancy dress competition and a children's mega playground.

This year, The Gum Ball has teamed up with The Black Dog Institute, an Australian charity helping to fund research and raise awareness about depression and bipolar disorder. Anyone who makes a donation goes into the draw to win prizes including a four-berth camper van for five days over the festival.