St Kilda Festival Unveils First-Round 2015 Line-Up

Next year's St Kilda Festival is treating its music-loving faithful nice and early, with the announcement of the first batch of artists set to grace the New Music Stage unveiling a list of names led by the esteemed likes of acclaimed electro duo Audego, Torres Strait rapper Mau Power and Melburnian indie-dance outfit I Know The Chief.

Further bolstering out the ranks will be artists such as Murdena, Forest Falls, Simone And Girlfunkle, Better Than The Wizards, Echo Drama, Jude Perl and The D.Y.E. The announced acts really only form the tip of the iceberg, though, with the final program set to include more than 120 bands across the festival's duration (Saturday, January 31, to Sunday, February 8).

For the more culturally attuned, the festival gets under way with an outdoor indigenous festival, Yalukit Wilum Ngargee: People Place Gathering, boasting a lauded line-up of local acts Indigenous Hip Hop Projects, Benny Walker and contemporary soul crew The Deans.

"The St Kilda Festival has a rich history of bringing more than 400,000 family and friends together to enjoy and discover Australian music, arts and culture with nine full days of entertainment," festival producer Adele Denison said in a statement. "It's an opportunity to bring not only established musicians to the stage but also emerging artists showcasing great talent in the heart of St Kilda."

Next year's event will also see the return of the wildly popular Live N Local program, running from Sunday, February 1, to Saturday, February 7, and shining a light on some of the local scene's best and brightest — indie-pop upstarts Belle Roscoe, roots-rock-reggae ensemble Centre And The South, and venerated soul nine-piece The Fabric.

It's not just music on offer, of course — the broad-ranging program takes in activities from the annual Children's Fishing Workshop, hosted by Elwood Angling Club, to face painting and a Hare Krishna Parade. Plus, St Kilda football players will be a part of festivities, and there's a special Dancezone to get everybody up and moving, replete with performances and workshops.

The 2015 St Kilda Festival will, as always, be a free, non-ticketed, pro-community event. The full program is due to be announced on Tuesday, January 6; until then, you can keep across all the relevant news and updates at our <http: www.themusic.com.au="" festivals"="" target="_blank">festivals hub, or head over to the festival website and have a poke around.