5 Things That Make Sugar Mountain Sweet

Sugar Mountain descends upon the Victorian College of the Arts and Melbourne Arts Precinct next Saturday and boy, do they have a treat for you. 

The self-proclaimed "summit of music and art" boasts a slew of artists like Courtney Barnett, Royal Headache, Le1f, Viet Cong and more, alongside art and installations courtesy of fuse*, Daniel Askill, Nic Hamilton and more.

With so much to see, we wanted to narrow down our five favourite picks of the festival, so you don't feel completely overwhelmed when you get there. 

Kelela

The whole Sugar Mountain line-up is solid but we're particularly amped for Kelela's set. You may have heard of the LA-based singer from Teengirl Fantasy's EFX, her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me or her latest EP, last year's Hallucinogen, featuring hyped track Rewind. Kelela pushes the boundaries of R&B and has been praised by the likes of Solange and Björk. It'll be her first time in Australia so let's give her a welcome to remember.    

Sensory Restaurant  

There's been quite a bit of talk about this already but the concept is so exciting that we're gonna talk about it some more. As the restaurant's name suggests, the on-site dining experience is set to be a full immersion of the senses, with Bomba looking after taste, smell and touch, Tin & Ed taking care of sight and Cut Copy providing the sound component. If you're at all a foodie (whether you embrace or reject the label), you won't want to miss this; it'll probably be the best meal you've ever had or are going to have at a music festival. 

Angie Pai

You might recognise Melbourne-based artist Angie Pai's name from wearable art label PAI, a collaboration with Adrian Bressanutti. The label has been championed by the likes of i-D, Spook and Oyster, and was shortlisted in the Bank Of Melbourne Small Business Grant competition last year. Pai's previous work includes photographic projects with Jordan Drysdale and commissioned art for Banoffee (her self-titled EP artwork) and model Mimi Elashiry. Definitely keep a close eye on what Pai the artist and PAI the label will do next.  

Wrangler Denim Exchange

Got some old denim lying around that you never wear anymore? Or maybe can't fit into in this post-Christmas period? Best stick it in with your festival kit because Wrangler are hosting a charity denim exchange at Sugar Mountain. Trade in any wearable denim jeans, shorts and skirts for a pick from Wrangler's new range. You get some new threads and all clothing donated will be given to the Salvation Army along with a selection of Wrangler products. The exchange will be located in the middle of the festival between the three major outdoor stages. 

ASRC Donation

Over the Xmas period (17 to 31 Dec), Sugar Mountain offered a special discounted price for their tickets, selling them at $109 each, with $10 from every ticket going straight to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. They managed to raise almost $15,000 for the ASRC, which is a mammoth effort in helping out an extremely important cause.