Festival Guide: Our Hot Picks For Vic & Tas This Summer
Things are heating up and with the country slowly emerging from COVID-related lockdowns and other restrictions, there’s a lot to be excited about. For those itching to get out this summer festival season, we’ve highlighted a few choice picks for your consideration. Here are some of the best events on offer across Victoria and Tasmania in the coming months.
ABILITY FEST
When: Saturday 27 November, 2021
Where: Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne
Who: What So Not, Cub Sport, Alex The Astronaut, Nina Las Vegas + more
Website: abilityfest.com.au
A few years back, Ability Fest became the country’s first and only completely inclusive, fully accessible music festival. Brought to you by the Dylan Alcott Foundation and Untitled Group and presented by triple j, this completely unique music festival is being held in the lush surrounds of the Alexandra Gardens this year, opposite Flinders Street Station with the impressive Melbourne cityscape as a backdrop. In addition to the space being set up for elevated platforms, pathways, a dedicated sensory area, quiet zones, companion ticketing, ramps, stacks of friendly volunteers and of course, accessible toilets, it’s also packed with a huge line-up. Oh, and it’s on THIS WEEKEND!
BEYOND THE CITY
When: Thursday 30 December - Friday 31 December, 2021
Where: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Who: PNAU, Spacey Jane, Lime Cordiale, Hayden James, Allday, Bradley Zero, Mallrat, Running Touch, Sycco, Lastlings, Jaguar Jonze + more
Website: beyondthevalley.com.au
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Beyond The City, the latest venture from the brains beyond Beyond The Valley, is gearing up to take the party you know and love from the valley and plonk it in the heart of Melbourne. Combining Beyond The Valley’s renowned world-class production and stage designs with the added view of Melbourne’s impressive cityscape, this brand spanking new festival has just firmed up plans leading into NYE this year. Taking place over two days, Beyond The City will play host to a mix of top-tier artists and breakthrough talent across a range of genres, including some of the best live bands, electronic artists and hip hop acts. With the event’s carefully curated line-up, distinctly designed stages and mesmerising visual spectacles, partygoers will be transported to an otherworldly experience.
MONA FOMA
When: Friday 21 January - Sunday 23 January + Friday 28 January - Sunday 30 January, 2022
Where: Launceston & Hobart
Who: TBA
Website: mofo.net.au
MONA's summer music and arts festival is once again returning to Tasmania, but beyond knowing that the event is retaining its dual-city format, very little other information has been revealed about the event so far. For those keen on getting the full rundown on what’s to come, we’d advise checking back on theMusic.com.au on December 3!
LET THEM EAT CAKE
When: Saturday 1 January, 2022
Where: Werribee Mansion, Melbourne
Who: Adi Toohey, Close Counters, CC:Disco!, Confidence Man, Late Night Tuff Guy, North East Party House + More
Website: ltecnyd.com
Like most festivals around the world, Let Them Eat Cake - Melbourne’s premier and longest-running arts, culture and dance music festival - went to ground, took stock and has come back with yet another killer line-up which will take place on New Year’s Day in the beautifully manicured gardens of Werribee Mansion. Punters lucky enough to snap up tickets can expect live sets from Confidence Man, Northeast Party House, Close Counters, and Tornado Club plus an equally impressive DJ line-up, including Late Nite Tuff Guy, CC:DISCO!, Young Franco and internationals Hidden Spheres (UK) and Aroha (NZ). Get vaccinated, go to a party. Have your cake, eat it too.
FOR THE LOVE
When: Saturday 5 March, 2022
Where: Catani Gardens, Melbourne
Who: Dom Dolla, Crooked Colours, Mallrat, Allday, Running Touch, Boo Seeka, George Maple + more
Website: fortheloveftl.com
After the pandemic killed 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 pier side at Cantani Gardens with nothing but an endless horizon, a beach and the odd ice cream van in sight, For The Love is gearing up for a sun-soaked day, packed with live sets from Dom Dolla, Crooked Colours, Mallrat, Allday and more. Tickets aren’t officially on sale yet, but the presale is currently underway!
BY THE PIER
When: Friday 25 March - Sunday 27 March, 2022
Where: Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria
Who: San Cisco, Client Liason, Julia Stone, Briggs, Vera Blue, Thandi Phoenix + more
Website: bythepier.com.au
The inaugural By The Pier festival will kick off next March with some of the country’s best talent in tow. On announcing the new event, director Andrew Orvis said: "We’re super excited to see the return of music festivals and to be able to present such a stellar line-up of Aussie artists for our inaugural event. We can’t wait to party in Queenscliff with you in March."
WILDFLOWER
When: Saturday 12 March, 2022
Where: Rochford Wines, Yarra Valley
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 06 March, 2022
Where: Reunion Park, Melbourne
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.
KNIGHT & DAY FESTIVAL
When: Thursday 30 December - Friday 31 December, 2021
Where: Kryal Castle, Ballarat
Who: Parkway Drive, Polaris, The Getaway Plan, Alex Lahey, Hellions + more
Website: knightanddayfestival.com.au
If you’ve been hauled up inside recently, thinking to yourself, ‘It would be nice to headbang my way in 2022,’ then Knight & Day Festival has definitely got you covered. Promising to be one monumental weekend of metal, punk and rock music chaos, the brand-spankin' new two-day festival will be taking to the medieval Kryal Castle in Ballarat (Australia’s only medieval adventure park has long been providing family fun for visitors since opening in 1974) this December with a stacked line-up, including Parkway Drive, Polaris, The Getaway Plan, Alex Lahey, Hellions and more. While there’s plenty to see, eat and do on-site, camping won’t be available for this one, sorry folks!
KEEP IT TOGETHER FESTIVAL
When: Sunday 26 December, 2021
Where: Port Melbourne Industrial Centre For The Arts, Melbourne
Who: The Veronicas, Havana Brown, Stafford Brothers, Discovery Daft Punk Tribute + more
Website: keepittogetherfestival.com.au
It’s been a rough couple of years in Melbourne. Everyone has felt that, especially the team behind Keep It Together Festival; that’s why they’ve been hard at work on a new festival - a new beginning... a welcome back party if you will. Keep It Together is all about Australian music, that feeling of meeting your mates on the dancefloor with a cold drink in your hand, and ultimately - a massive celebration. It’s about huge headliners, carnival rides, markets, art installations, food stalls, performers, games & prizes - the whole nine yards. And it’s happening the day after Christmas in case you need gift ideas?
ULTRA
When: Saturday 5 March, 2022
Where: Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
Who: TBA
Website: ultraaustralia.com
After two massively successful runs in 2019 and 2020, Ultra Australia is locked in for its third edition Down Under. Besides Road to Ultra Taiwan in 2020, Ultra Australia 2022 will be the very first Ultra Music Festival since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, kicking off three weeks before Ultra Miami. Whilst Sydney has unfortunately not been included for the festival’s next run in Australia, the return to Melbourne marks a significant milestone for a city that has just endured the longest lockdown in the world. Very few details have been released at this stage, but if 2019 and 2020 are anything to go by, fans of EDM aren’t going to be disappointed.
UNCAGED
When: Saturday 29 January, 2022
Where: Coburg Velodrome, Melbourne
Who: Wolfmother, Twelve Foot Ninja, Kingswood, End of Fashion, 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 kids calendar. After 18+ months of little to no live events, especially those in the heavy world, the announcement of Uncaged festival - an 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.
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For more upcoming festivals and other events, head to theGuide.
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