Live Review: FOMO shows its here to stay with stellar 2018 festival
Now in its third year, FOMO Festival proved its here to stay with another fantastic year in 2018 thanks to its ONE STAGE, NO CLASHES, PARTY TOGETHER ethos.
Music festivals have been established as part of the fabric of a long, hot Australian summer. As far as pastimes go, great music and the great outdoors have proven to be a winning combination. One event that really brings together all the elements is FOMO festival. And as the name implies if you weren't in attendance this year, you really missed out.
FOMO festival was an event founded on one simple idea; one stage, no clashes. After a successful launch in Brisbane, BBE promoters have taken this event on the road, and now in its third year, the tour includes festivals in Sydney, Adelaide and their home of Brisbane, while also launching FOMO BY NIGHT in Melbourne.
We were lucky enough to head along to the Sydney leg of FOMO last weekend, and we can definitely see why this has become a sold out event. Whilst a euphoric festival experience is often hard to put into words, we've been to our fair share over the past 11 years, and we have a few insights about what makes FOMO so special. Nestled in Parramatta Park, we definitely took away a few key lessons from this year's edition of FOMO!
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Boutique is best
We've seen the rise and fall of big festivals in Australia over past few years. From overly convoluted line ups to kilometres between stages, it was made abundantly that punters were looking for something different. And that's where FOMO comes in. Boasting only one stage, it means no clashes. It also means that everyone comes together to share the festival experience, as the festival promotes in its "ONE STAGE. NO CLASHES. PARTY TOGETHER" motto. This may seem like a small detail, but there's something to be said for being in the moment, and not trying to figure out which stage you need to run off to next, or losing your friends along the way. It also means that the line up is curated to an expert level, with a carefully considered timetable for the stage everyone is at. Ultimately, this boutique approach continues to win over legions of loyal punters, meaning FOMO is absolutely here to stay.
Tailored production makes all the difference
It's important to note that one stage doesn't however, mean less production value. FOMO has certainly demonstrated that when an event is smaller in size, that it is definitely more tailored. There was a meticulous attention to detail, confetti canons and incredible A/V displays were all incredibly special, obviously built to be as unique as each performer. From SZA's eclectic visuals showing everything from snippets of Drew Barrymore during the song of the same name to hypnotising butterflies in 'Love Galore', all the way through to the all-out, nothing-held-back set that RL Grime put on, the stage came alive in different forms with each and every artist, adding just that little bit more to each set to make it completely captivating.
We love a refreshment...
There was obviously a lot of thought and care that went into every element of the event. One detail that can legitimately make or break an event, in my view, is the calibre of the food and beverages available. At FOMO in Parramatta they catered to all of their punters needs with diverse and delicious range of food and drink options. I am talking reasonably priced cocktails (margaritas are obviously a winner when enjoying fun in sun) and gourmet food options such as fried chicken from Butter, Gozleme, Bao burgers and a variety of vegan options. It didn't stop there though with this aspect of the festival being a a serious highlight of the day: as much as we love a good line up, there's nothing worse than being stuck in a queue, but FOMO managed to keep the lines moving so you could get in and out in no time at all with your bellies full of delicious food and drink to keep you going.
Quality over Quantity is the way to go
FOMO is putting the focus back on well curated line ups rather than long line ups. This year's lineup boasted some incredible local talent, including local radio star-turned-label boss NINA LAS VEGAS, DENA AMY, THE KITE STRING TANGLE and a stack of UNEARTHED artists playing at each city, while a string of stellar internationals including headliner RL GRIME, ZHU, POST MALONE, KAYTRANADA and actual angel, SZA brought the goods from across the pond. It had a bit of everything for everyone, and because of this rich and diverse line up, it was a stellar day for all. Although the crowd could be a bit too rowdy at times, the promoters and staff handled it professionally in each city to make it a great day for all.
FOMO was memorable for all the right reasons. Strong lineups, strong attention to details and plenty of theatrics. Jumping leaps and bounds in just three years, FOMO has become one of the premier events of Australia's festival season, so we're definitely looking forward to seeing what comes from the team next. See you in 2019!
Image by Jordan Munns.
Words by Rosie Rae
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