Australian music festivals ensure a great musical extravaganza around the year. And no, we are not talking about the Sydney Opera House or other music academies’ shows.
Rather, we are talking about camping festivals in secluded forests and on picturesque mountain tops, raves in the middle of the bush, and the city gems – all complete with brilliant lineups.
So, without further ado, we present a list of 11 best music festivals in Australia that you must attend.
1. Strawberry Fields
Strawberry Fields hosts one of the finest Melbourne music festivals. However new, the music bonanza has slowly gained recognition as one of the best niche festival experiences in Australia.
Hosted at: Melbourne
Festival Dates: Held in November
Average ticket cost: $259
Musical genres: Various
Website
2. Meredith Music Festival
An art exhibition cum music festival, the Meredith Music Festival is articulated by the 3 rules: No glass, no bean bags, no jerks . The annual three-day event is the oldest Australia music festival. The Supernatural Amphitheatre on the Chris Nolan farm has been hosting this musical extravaganza since 1991. So pack your bags for the Silver Jubilee edition of the event.
Hosted at: Meredith, Victoria
Festival Dates: Held in December
Average ticket cost: $339 (includes parking and camping)
Musical genres: Art rock, avant garde, electro, and rock
Website
3. Homebake
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Homebake doesn’t boast of any awe-inspiring lineup unlike some of the other Australian music festivals in our list. The atmosphere and unbelievable rush for tickets make this one of the best. And interestingly, it is not just music, Homebake also includes films, stand up comedies, and fine arts.
Hosted at: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth
Festival Dates: Held in December
Average ticket cost: $92
Musical genres: Various
Website
4. Festival Of The Sun
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The outdoor Australian music festival has been in the circuit since 2001 and has quietly carved a niche for itself. With a small audience of about 3,000 attendees and a single stage, FOTSUN has the exact carefree vibe that you seek from music festivals.
Hosted at: Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
Festival Dates: Held in December
Musical genres: Contemporary
Website
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5. Beyond The Valley
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The New Year’s extravaganza—Beyond The Valley Music Festival in Australia—provides an excellent experience of camping in tents and watching performances by artists such as Aston Shuffle, Ball Park Music, Danny Brown, Peking Duk, and the Preatures.
Hosted at: Lardner, Victoria
Festival Dates: 29th December – 1st January
Average ticket cost: $320 – $ 360
Musical genres: Various
6. Falls Festival
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From a modest start in 1993 as the Rock Above The Falls Festival held in Lorne to the Best Lineup Award in 2008, the Falls Festival has come a long way. Falls has seen performers including Santigold, The Kooks, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Grizzly Bear in recent years. Tickets (especially for Lorne) are hard to get your hands on but it is totally worth it.
Hosted at: Lorne, Victoria; Marion Bay, Tasmania (held simultaneously)
Festival Dates: 29th December – 1st January
Average ticket cost: Various options; $235-369
Musical genres: Various
Website
7. Big Day Out
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Since the 1992 launch of the festival with the dream lineup of Nirvana, the Violent Femmes and You Am I, the Big Day Out has been considered a premiere music bash. Over the years, the festival has been headlined by top performers including Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Marilyn Manson, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and Neil Young. Though the 2015 event got cancelled, it is back for its 2016 edition with the famous Red Hot Chilli Peppers and the Killers among the long list of performers.
Hosted at: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane
Festival Dates: Held in late January – February
Average ticket cost: $165
Musical genres: Various
Website
8. Soundwave Festival
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The Soundwave Festival is a magical experience of genuine metal royalty like Nine Inch Nails and Lamb of God. It might not be the best organised festival, but the monster headliners and pop-punk support acts surely make The Soundwave Festival one of the best Australian music festivals.
Hosted at: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth
Festival Dates: Held in mid February – March
Average ticket cost: $140
Musical genres: Metal, punk, hardcore, and pop punk
Website
9. St Jerome’s Laneway Festival
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St Jerome’s Laneway Festival was started in 2004 to celebrate the claustrophobic urban lanes of Melbourne. It might lack the vast musical range or genuine A-listed performers of the other top music festivals in Australia, but its excellent summer atmosphere and rich cultural experience has led to its exponential growth since its inception.
Hosted at: Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle
Festival Dates: Held in February – March
Average ticket cost: $135; including booking fee and GST
Musical genres: Indie pop, and rock
Website
10. Melbourne International Jazz Festival
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Melbourne music festivals provide the best dose of jazz, blues, and funk. With legendary venues, such as the Bennett’s Lane and the Hamer Hall, the city has played host to world class musicians. But, it was the appearance of the legendary pianist and composer Herbie Hancock in 2007 at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival that made the festival so famous.
Hosted at: Melbourne
Festival Dates: Held in late April – May
Average ticket cost: On per-artist basis, $10-100
Musical genres: Jazz, blues, and funk
Website
11. Splendour in the Grass
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One of the finest music festivals in Australia, Splendour in the Glass has been held annually since 2001 at Byron Bay. However, it was held at Woodford in Queensland in 2010 and 2011. The backdrop of Byron Bay gifts the festival with an aura of open-air yoga sessions too. We recommend making hotel reservations early on for a comfortable stay during the 3-day bonanza.
Hosted at: Belongil Fields, just outside Byron Bay
Festival Dates: Held in late July – early August
Average ticket cost: $250 weekend pass (not including camping)
Musical genres: Indie rock, hip hop, electronic, and alternative
Website
Further Read: 17 Dreamy Australia Honeymoon Destinations That Define A Romantic Vacation
With some amazing lineups in the aforementioned Australian music festivals, you can be sure to have a gala time down under. So, grab your tickets before they are all sold out.
Disclaimer: Some of the other amazing yesteryear’s Australian music festivals, such as the V Festival and Park-life Festival, have been discontinued. Though speculations of their return are in the air, but we’ll have to wait till it is official.
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