Summer Festival Guide: Camping
Here's where you should pitch your tent to avoid FOMO.
Every year it seems like the festival list gets bigger, the line-ups more star-studded and the FOMO more all-consuming. Like most of life's problems, the solution is knowledge. Achieving the perfect summer season takes diligent research. You gotta weigh the pros and face the cons. Sharpen pencils. Make a graph. But the sun's out, and there's tins to be crack — so maybe skip all that and just read our handy guide instead. Here's our pick of the camping festivals you should be visiting…
If you've been looking for an excuse to hitch your tent on the Apple Isle, Party In The Paddock's the time to do it. Even if you've never been you'd probably recognise the poster - it's the one with the naked bloke stretching on a hay bale. PITP turns six in February and they've had to stretch out to three days to accommodate their growing flock of faithful and the burgeoning line-up - Gang Of Youths, Grouplove, Meg Mac, Ball Park Music, et al. The Aunty Donna boys are on board to headline Fresh Comedy and PITP's cultural hub Vibestown will be full of glitter, skating, comedy, art and yoga as is tradition.
Up in north Tassie A Festival Called PANAMA takes place on a secluded 50-acre property/small-batch cider brewery in the Lone Star Valley. Surrounded by lush forest and taking full advantage of the local brewers, vineyards and distillers, there aren't many places better suited to a three-night camping fest. Genuine soul legend Lee Fields is bringing The Expressions down this year to celebrate the event's fifth birthday, along with Brooklyn indie darlings Grizzly Bear, Grammy-winning bass guitar genius Thundercat and one-woman house party Alice Ivy. It's also your first chance to see Melbourne producer Ghosting's Reimagining Miyazaki live. There are only 1500 tickets available, which keeps things intimate but means you need to get on it sharpish.
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Held on the same South Gippsland farm as the legendary The Hills Are Alive festival, we’ve actually checked out NYE On The Hill's site and can confirm that it’s absolutely picturesque with views for days. What better way to usher in the new year than at this two-night, three-day festival celebrating with friends, and friends of friends, while taking a few pics to make everyone jealous when you eventually post ‘em on Insta? And these bookers certainly have their fingers on the pulse. With Gold Class, Gretta Ray, The Teskey Brothers, Didirri and Angie McMahon locked in to entertain you, your ears will be stoked you made the trek.
Speaking of The Hills Are Alive South Gippy's primo farm party hits the big one-oh in March. The Farmer's has just dropped the line-up which includes the likes of Ali Barter, The Bennies, Alex The Astronaut, Dear Seattle, Heaps Good Friends, Dorsal Fins and a heap more. A decade on and the festival has gone from hosting 330 ‘friends-of-friends’ for a night to a three-day extravaganza, but staying true to their roots, festival producers are capping tickets at just 2,500.
Schoolboy Q, The Presets, Matt Corby, Stormzy, Mura Masa - Beyond The Valley's booking game is strong this year. Despite only starting in 2014, the fest has already developed a reputation for its purpose-built stages, insane lighting, unique art installations and sculptures, communal hubs, boutique bars, and gourmet food trucks. Also, for just being a good time. You get a campsite in the ticket price but if you really want to get lit you can opt up for Electric City, or go full glamp at Lux Camp - we're talking memory foam mattresses, Egyptian cotton, premium toilet and shower facilities.
Still looking for tips for the summer season? We've got the guides for you…
Although originally pure psytrance, Subtronic has grown to include ambient, reggae, acoustic, techno, house, bass, hip hop and electro-punk - which they spread over five stages and 72 hours. That's three days floating in the Karuah River, exploring shiatsu, acroyoga, sacred geometry, daily meditation and dancing - there's a whole lot of dancing. This year the line-up includes local legends such as AB Original and Sampa The Great and international stalwarts like UK producer Andrew Weatherall and American techno minimalist Daniel Bell. Butterfly wings aren't strictly mandatory or anything but you'll have a better time if you get on board with the vibe and go with the flow.
For southern trance fans, jampack your van with glitter paint, good vibes and outrageous costumes (maybe a couple capes?) and get yourself to Rainbow Serpent. For more than 20 years now the epic five-day psytrance extravaganza has brought world class producers, DJs and bands together with psychedelic art, sculpture, genuinely mind-bending light installations and stimulating speakers and workshops. Every year the event is awash with colour and invention - cars decorated as spaceships, people wrapped in fairy lights, stages decked-out like much friendlier thunderdomes. If you don't feel like digging around in the shed for your swag you can also book out a luxury bell tent or teepee in Sleepy Hollow.
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