Festival Guide: Our Hot Picks For NSW & ACT This Summer

SYDNEY FESTIVAL

When: Thursday 6 January - Sunday 30 January, 2022
Where: Various Venues
Who: Amyl & The Sniffers, The Teskey Brothers, The Cat Empire, King Stingray, Jaguar Jonze, Barkaa, Gordi + more
Website: sydneyfestival.org.au

There’s a warm breeze floating in through the window and it’s carrying the sound of music, laughter and thunderous applause. It’s carrying the salty smell of the harbour, and of freshly cut, picnic-ready lawns. Summer’s in the air – and Sydney Festival is here to seize the moment. Embracing the art of summer since 1977, the festival has a stellar legacy of drawing the finest artists in the world to Sydney, and introducing the country's finest to the world. In 2022 expect to hear live sets from Amyl & The Sniffers, The Teskey Brothers, the final performance for The Cat Empire (in its current incarnation), King Stingray, Jaguar Jonze, B Wise & Friends, Tropical Fuck Storm, Hope D, Barkaa, Gordi, and many more!

FIELD DAY

When: Saturday 1 January, 2022
Where: The Domain, Sydney
Who: Golden Features, Hayden James, Hot Dub Time Machine, Peking Duk, Masked Wolf, Mallrat + more
Website: fieldday.com.au

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For the audacious partygoers looking to kick-on on New Year's Day, Field Day has got you well and truly sorted. After taking a year off to catch its breath, Sydney’s most beloved excuse to get on it as early as possible in the new year - Field Day - will once again take over Sydney’s Domain on January 1 with some of the country’s best emerging and established acts helping music lovers kick-off 2022. Unlike previous iterations of the event, 2022 will focus on just one stage and feature 100% Australian artists, which means less walking, and more time to question how you’ll feel on January 2.

YOURS & OWLS

When: Saturday 2 April - Sunday 3 April, 2022
Where: Stuart Park, Wollongong
Who: Hilltop Hoods, Harvey Sutherland, Jack River, The Jungle Giants, Flight Facilities, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ruby Fields, San Cisco, Violent Soho + more
Website: yoursandowls.com.au

After somehow managing to pull off a music festival in the middle of a global pandemic, Wollongong weekender Yours & Owls returns to their ‘spiritual home by the sea’ at Stuart Park; a bigger site, for a bigger line-up, and a bigger party. With almost 100 bands set to perform, including Hilltop Hoods, Harvey Sutherland, Jack River, The Jungle Giants, Flight Facilities, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ruby Fields, San Cisco, Violent Soho AND the return of everyone’s favourite late '90s alt-rock outfit Faker, it’s lucky the event runs for two days.

VALLEYWAYS

When: Saturday 19 February, 2022
Where: Onslow Oval, Camden
Who: Skeggs, The Rubens, Middle Kids, Slowly Slowly, Stevan, Becca Hatch + more
Website: valleyways.com.au

From Tyler, The Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw to Client Liaison's Expo Liaison, artist-curated music festivals are far from a new idea. In 2022, after a decade of making music together, Australian indie-pop legends The Rubens are throwing their hat into the festival ring, with ValleyWays. Taking place in the band's hometown of Camden, with a carefully curated line-up of Australian acts, including Middle Kids, Skeggs, Slowly Slowly, and more.

FOR THE LOVE

When: Saturday 26 February, 2022
Where: Stuart Park, Wollongong
Who: Dom Dolla, Crooked Colours, Mallrat, Allday, Running Touch, Boo Seeka, George Maple + more
Website: fortheloveftl.com

After the pandemic canned their original 2021 plans, touring waterfront festival For The Love is making a welcome return to the live circuit in February 2022, hitting the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and a newly-expanded stop in Wollongong, all packed with an all-Australian line-up. Taking place beach-side at Stuart Park with nothing but an endless horizon and beautiful mountain range, For The Love is gearing up for a sun-soaked day, packed with live sets from Dom Dolla, Crooked Colours, Mallrat, Allday and more.

THIS/THAT

When: Saturday 26 February, 2022
Where: Wickham Park, Newcastle
Who: Client Liaison, Dune Rats, Jack River, Hayden James, The Presents, The Rubens + more
Website: thisthat.com.au

Now entering its sixth year down south, Newcastle’s very own staple event is making its triumphant return in March 2022. With performances from the likes of Client Liaison, Dune Rats, The Chats and Jack River, plus sets from exclusive additions Hayden James, Meg Mac, Spacey Jane, The Rubens and loads more, it’s zero wonder this event sells out year on year. Also! Event organisers have promised a stacked line-up of DJs and teased a new addition to the event, crowned simply ‘The Other’. Mysterious but intriguing!

WILDFLOWER

When: Saturday 2 April + Saturday 29 October, 2022
Where: Roche Estate, Hunter Valley + Craigmoor Wines, Eurunderee
Who: Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Sarah Blasko, Alice Skye + more
Website: wildflowerfestivalaustralia.com.au

A brand spanking new music festival has blossomed in Australia, and it’s called Wildflower; a celebration of women in Australian music taking over three different east coast cities throughout March. With the event's inaugural line-up, festival organisers (Empire Touring and TEG Live) haven’t missed a beat, securing some of the country’s finest artists, including none other than Missy Higgins, Kasey Chambers, Kate Miller-Heidke, Sarah Blasko heaps more.

SUMMER CAMP

When: Sunday 27 February, 2022
Where: Centennial Parklands, Sydney
Who: Years & Years, Big Freedia, The Veronicas, Cub Sport, Ladyhawke, Confidence Man, Sycco, Kinder + more
Website: summercampfestival.com.au

Less than two weeks since the announcement of one of Australia’s newest, most promising and most unique music festivals - Summer Camp - was announced, and it’s already looking like tickets are flying off the shelf. It’s little wonder why; the inaugural event, which is landing in Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne and Perth in 2022, is positioning itself as being the first festival with international headliners to grace the southern hemisphere and Australia’s first touring pride festival. With a plan to create a ‘summer camp’ for adults, a playground of music and art culture that “suspends reality and transcends the boundaries of imagination”, Summer Camp is setting a goal of becoming a place where everyone is welcome – no matter who you love, your pronouns or your music taste.

NYE IN THE PARK

When: Friday 31 December, 2021
Where: Victoria Park, Sydney
Who: Illy, PNAU, The Presets, What So Not, Spacey Jane, Thandi Phoenix + more
Website: nyeinthepark.com

For the past few years, houses and apartments dotted around the outskirts of Sydney’s Victoria Park will no doubt have gotten used to being within walking distance of one of Sydney’s biggest NYE parties. Nestled in the lush gardens of Camperdown’s Victoria Park (just 10 minutes walk from Newtown station) and backlit by Sydney’s picturesque skyline, NYE In The Park gives you all you need for a fuss-free, quality-filled and atmospheric shindig to dance away your 2021 NYE. With past events hosting everyone from 2ManyDJs, Girl Talk, Parcels, Confidence Man and The Jungle Giants, and 2021’s event packing an equally large punch, NYE In The Park continues to prove itself year and year again.

UNCAGED

When: Saturday 12 February, 2022
Where: Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney
Who: Wolfmother, Twelve Foot Ninja, Kingswood, The Getaway Plan + more
Website: uncagedfestival.com

Prior to COVID pulling the plug on the global entertainment industry, the Australian heavy music festival circuit was teaming with some of the world's best events; Download Festival, Good Things Festival and countless others all successfully positioning themselves as ‘must do’ events on any hardcore kid's calendar. After 18+ months of little to no live events, especially those in the heavy world, the announcement of Uncaged festival - and all Aussie heavy rock festival - is a welcome bit of news! Hosting the likes of Wolfmother, Twelve Foot Ninja, Kingswood, The Getaway Plan and more, it’s never been more exciting to break out the earplugs and black band shirts.