24 October 2023
13 mins Read
Aussies love a music festival; there is just something so iconically Australian about getting festival ready in the sweltering heat of an Aussie summer. As a result, our Aussie states are absolutely packed full of festivals come the warmer weather.
Don’t panic though, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to Australia’s hottest (literally) music festivals, so you can organise this summer around good music and great vibes.
Held at the Mareeba Rodeo Arena, Savannah In The Round is a popular Queensland festival that celebrates all things country living. Mareeba is located in the Cairns Hinterland, so bring your Akubra – this ones gonna be hot, in more ways than one!
If you love classic Australian musicians, this is the one for you. The line-up includes Aussie icon Jimmy Barnes, along with Kasey Chambers, Daryl Braithwaite and Kate Ceberano. In true Queensland fashion, the Great Northern Bullriding Series will also be on during the festival.
If you love classic Australian musicians, this one is for you.
Taking place across two days in Fremantle, Out Of The Woods journeys into the heart of music and art. Through epic art installations, captivating performances and a vibrant atmosphere, you’ll leave this festival feeling spellbound.
This year’s line-up is like no other, with Broods, Chet Faker, The Temper Trap, Skeggs and Ruby Fields all taking to the stage, among a bunch of other amazing artists. Both days will explore the intersection of art, music and community – you won’t want to miss it.
Gather your best pals and dance the day away.
Who’s ready for another round of Yours and Owls? We certainly are. This year’s set list, which features local and international acts, is sure to pop off, with Earl Sweatshirt, Hilltop Hoods, Masego and Ocean Alley all ready to party with you.
For the first time, the festival will be held in a new location: the University of Wollongong. Head to the grounds for a jam-packed weekend of good music with mates.
This year’s festival will be held at the University of Wollongong. (Image: Ian Laidlaw)
Popular Texas-based festival South by Southwest (SXSW) is heading to Sydney, and 2023 will be its first year in operation Down Under. Tech, games, music, film and ideas come together in a meteoric mash-up of A-list celebrities and companies.
This year, attendees can expect to see Netflix’s Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, Slack co-founder Cal Henderson and Aboriginal Australian author and actor Leah Purcell. Famed music artist Chance the Rapper will also be making his first Australian appearance in six years.
SXSW Sydney will combine tech, games, music, film and ideas. (Image: Jess Gleeson)
For purveyors of fine wine-ups, sip on this musical selection of artists, handcrafted for your ultimate listening pleasure. Grapevine Gathering, Australia’s biggest wine and music paired festival, is back bigger than ever.
This year’s festivities are hosted by power duo Lucy and Nikki, co-founders of Aussie brand JGR & STN and co-hosts of Happy Hour Podcast. Headliners include none other than Spacey Jane, The Wombats and King Stingray, plus an Australian-exclusive appearance from disc jockey, Hayden James.
Grapevine Gathering is Australia’s biggest wine and music paired festival. (Image: Jordan Munns)
Harvest Rock II is so much more than a music festival – it caters to the whole family. Adults can enjoy the regular festie scheduling, with artists like Thelma Plum, Tash Sultana, Baker Boy and Vera Blue all ready to ignite the stage.
Little Harvest is designed for the young and young at heart, with kids as young as one being invited to join activities catered to little ones. Need a break from the crowd? You can also head to Grape Escape, Harvest Rock II’s very own wellness centre, for tarot readings and massages.
Settle in for two days of live music, wine and food in Adelaide’s CBD.
This year’s 10-day Melbourne Food & Wine Festival will include a Regional Edition of one-off events. The gourmet getaway will roll into the Yarra Valley and Ballarat for the World’s Longest Lunches on 11 November and Inverloch for the Seaside Weekender on 18 November.
Back in Melbourne, the celebration will also feature cooking demonstrations by chefs such as Paul Carmichael (ex-Momofuku Seiobo) and Thi Le (Anchovy), as well as food stalls and festival bars.
Celebrate and savour all things food and wine.
Coastal vibes meet electric energy at This That, making it the perfect summer festival. This year’s line-up is sure to please, with Gang Of Youths, Porter Robinson and Peking Duk headlining, plus a bunch of other awesome artists. With on-trend eateries, a range of beverage servers and an exclusive VIP lounge and bar, just try and say no.
Imagine this – you’re on a picnic blanket in the shade of gum trees, wine in hand, good music traveling along a hot summer breeze. Sound like a dream? Well it’s not, it’s Handpicked festival.
Surrounded by the vineyards of Lake Breeze Wines, enjoy live shows from Ball Park Music, Budjerah, The Waifs, Ziggy Alberts and more. Kick back with good wine, grab a snack from the food trucks, wander The Lane markets or enter The Cocktail Forest. All under SA’s summer sun.
It’s going to be a pun-tastic time at the Hide & Seek Winery in the Nagambie Lakes Wine Region of Victoria at this year’s inaugural Comedy in the Vines.
The event, staged on a gem of an island in the Goulburn Weir, is designed to bring visitors back to the region hit by a 100-year flood in 2022. Lean into laugh-out-loud one-liners from acts such as Merrick Watts, Leigh Francis, Luke McGregor, Tommy Little and Nat’s What I Reckon.
Australian comedian Merrick Watts will have you in stitches.
For the sixth year, Fridayz Live is bringing you 10 of the biggest household names in old school and contemporary RNB and hip-hop. Grab your old-school vans and snapback hats and get ready for a throwback.
Jason Derulo, Boys II Men, Flo Rida, Kelly Rowland and Baby Bash will all taking the stage, so it’s time to party like its 2010.
Kelly Rowland and Flo Rida are just a few of the artists hitting up Fridayz Live this year.
Don’t cry over Spilt Milk… Unless you miss out on tickets to this fan-fav festival. Spilt Milk is back for another year of music, art and food, all for your entertainment. After downing a hectic feed from Chicken Treat, check out three epic art installations before ending the night dancing to an all-star ensemble.
This year, Spilt Milk is bringing along a giant line-up of international and local heavy hitters. Think Post Malone, Dom Dolla, Aitch, Cub Sport, Lime Cordiale and Peach PRC, among a long list of other talents. Nab tickets now, the Ballarat show is already sold out!
Spilt Milk is one of Australia’s best music festivals. (Image: Jordan Munns)
Good Things is a music festival created by alternative music fans for alternative music fans. Good Things established itself on the Australian festival calendar in 2018, ushered in by an unstoppable army of some of the heaviest and most popular alt bands the world had on offer.
This year, nothing has changed. See the likes of Fall Out Boy, Limp Bizkit, Devo, Bullet For My Valentine and Eskimo Joe take to the stage and have the crowd going wild for more.
Kiama‘s biggest music festival should be your early Christmas present to yourself. And it might just end up being your favourite. Since 2016, Changing Tides has been keeping South Coasters sated with good music and delicious food.
This year, head down to this beachside town and witness Spacey Jane, Dune Rats, Royal Blood, The Jungle Giants and other massive names take to the stage.
Iconic Aussie band Dune Rats will be performing at Changing Tides this year.
More than 2000 artists will descend on the makeshift village of Woodfordia for Queensland’s frivolously folky Woodford Folk Festival. And it’s not just the roster of experimental folk musicians that inspires campers to get their groove on at the annual gathering. This year, the buzz is about everything from inspired conversations to live folk music and opportunities for reflection.
Meet groovy characters at Woodford Folk Festival. (Image: Lachlan Brown)
Ring in the new year in style by claiming a piece of prime real estate at House of Splendour in the Yallamundi Rooms of the Sydney Opera House. The New Year’s Eve event includes a roving feast of canapés, free-flowing French Champagne, premium wines and food stations.
A ticket to the party will also secure front-row seats to Sydney’s world-famous fireworks as the clock strikes 12. Expect some bangers on the ‘mixtape’ curated by some of the city’s superstar DJs.
Watch the NYE fireworks from the Sydney Opera House.
Ringing in the New Year for 2024, Lost Paradise returns with an all-star lineup. Taking over Glenworth Valley, the mammoth line-up of international superstars and fierce local talent includes Flume, Dom Dolla, The Jungle Giants, PNAU, Jayda G, and loads more.
This year, Lost Paradise will offer so much more than its musical line-up. Need a break from the music or keen to try something new? Head to Shambhala Fields for yoga, talks, workshops, healing arts and Indigenous experiences. Or wander a diverse range of markets in the Lost Village. Also, just to add the icing on top, glamping tents are available to book.
Beyond The Valley is back for its eighth year and promising a line-up like never before. Witness RÜFÜS DU SOL, Central Cee, DMA’s, G Flip, Kelis and so many more light up the stage and bring in the New Year.
There will also be a live podcast stage where you can see Love Island fan favourites, Anna and Matt with their podcast Where’s your head at? Other popular pods to look out for include In Bed With Georgia Grace, Flopstars and Yarning Up.
Beyond The Valley is back for its eighth year. (Image: Duncographic)
Brisbane’s Wildlands Festival will return over this New Year’s Eve period, expanding to Perth and Adelaide for the second year in a row. With Luude, The Jungle Giants, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Central Cee, Boo Seeka and more taking to the stage, Wildlands is going to be off the charts.
Featuring world-class production, iconic stage design, decor and arts, Wildlands offers festivalgoers a day of immersive music and arts escapism unlike any other. The will also be food trucks and fully stocked bars, so what are you waiting for?
Grab your mates and head to Wildlands. (Image: @zennieshia)
Field Day is the best way to do New Year’s Day and the antidote to the whole panoply of NYE drawbacks. Picture it, you’re out in the summer sun, your friends are by your side and the best music you’ll hear all year is blasting all around you.
Field Day specialises in party music that’s a high-quality mix of house, hip-hop, indie and electronica. With RÜFÜS DU SOL, Central Cee, Cassian, Claptone, Mall Grab and Sub Focus all making an appearance, there’s no better way to kick off 2024.
Start 2024 the right way at Field Day. (Image: Jordan Munns)
Sydney Festival is hitting its stride this year as it swings the spotlight across the city for its annual celebration of culture and creativity. The 24-day event will splash colour across the city in immersive live performances of theatre, music, dance and art.
The festival has won acclaim since it first began in 1977 for its inclusive program of free and ticketed events that build on the feelings of community that bind the city together.
Witness an extraordinary performance from Afrique Cirque. (Image: Wendell Teodoro)
This year’s Festival of King Island (FOKI) will see the usual mix of musical genres overlapping with the great produce the island is known for. The Tassie festival has stayed close to its original vision: to attract crowds and celebrate the island overlooking picturesque Currie Harbour for its music, surf, food and fun. This year’s line-up includes Mitch King, The Smokin’ Elmores and The Bad Dad Orchestra.
King Island in the Bass Strait is definitely worth celebrating. (Image: Andrew Wilson)
Laneway Festival is back for its 19th birthday! This year, the much-loved festival will be hopping from state to state, bringing both famed and emerging artists to your ears. Spend the day gallivanting in the sun to a blockbuster line-up featuring Stormzy, Steve Lacy, Dominic Fike, Raye and so many more incredible artists. Tickets are on sale now and are sure to sell out fast!
Laneway turns 19 this year! (Image: Bianca Holderness)
The mobility of Mona Foma brings its rewards. The fact the annual summer festival is not tethered to a particular site makes it a celebration of transience and the freedom of creativity that inspires. The ephemeral works of ‘art, music and other stuff’ will again pop up around lutruwita/Tasmania, with the line-up set to be announced in late 2023.
Mona Foma will again pop up around lutruwita/Tasmania in 2024.
This South Aussie spectacular remains one of the defining arts events on the Australian cultural calendar. Every summer, Adelaide Fringe hosts more than 6000 alt independent acts who transform the state’s laneways, theatres, galleries and gardens into a circus of fun. This year’s non-curated pay-to-play festival will include acts as diverse as cabaret and circus, magic and music, talks and physical theatre.
Wander through the Garden of Unearthly Delights. (Image: Frances Smith)
Byron Bay‘s best music event will be back in 2024 to celebrate its 35th anniversary! Bluesfest is one of Australia’s most iconic festivals, having won multiple awards both on home soil and internationally.
Join over 100,000 music fans as they welcome some of the hottest blues artists right now, including Jack Johnson, Matt Corby, Newtown Faulkner and The Paper Kites. With over 100 market stalls, camping grounds, five licensed bars and a bunch of beer gardens, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Camp out close to the action. (Image: Bluesfest Byron Bay)
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