Music festivals are undoubtedly highlights on the music lover’s calendar, but let’s face it, who has the stamina to camp your way through a multi-day music festival all the time? Sometimes we’re just looking for a huge serve of music that also lets us come home and sleep in our own beds after we check out the headliner that evening.
Thankfully, there are plenty of great one-day festivals kicking around in Australia, delivering killer lineups that make you feel almost like you’ve been to Splendour or Falls, without putting you through the whole ‘sleeping in a tent’ thing.
With some of the best one-dayers of the year about to hit, like Queensland’s awesome Maroochy Music and Visual Arts Festival, or Canberra newcomer Spilt Milk, we’ve decided to run through our 10 favourite one-day music festivals Australia has to offer.
Maroochy Music & Visual Arts Festival – QLD
The Maroochy Music & Visual Arts Festival might have only been on the scene for a couple of years now, but this boutique Aussie festival has fast become one of the best. Each year it’s managed to bring in lineups that festivals with a much longer history would be envious of, packing a curated mix of Australia’s top rock, electronic, and indie bands into a phenomenal location on the Sunshine Coast.
Kicking off on August 26, this year’s festy manages to bring together big names like Bernard Fanning, Gang of Youths, The Presets, Alison Wonderland, Horrorshow and Northeast Party House, along with some great emerging talent in Skegss, Mallrat, OKBadlands, Billy Davis & the Good Lords, and more – plus the full boutique trimmings of art, food and drink.
Plus, if you buy a ticket before August 15th, you’re also in the running to win free accom and transport, plus a backstage meet-and-greet with Alison Wonderland – not bad at all.
Spilt Milk – ACT
We were expecting pretty big things of Spilt Milk Festival after its impressive debut last year, but the Canberra festival has kicked it up a gear in 2017 with a huge lineup that sees the likes of Lorde, Dune Rats, Tash Sultana, King Gizz and many more descend upon our the Aussie capital for a day full of good vibes, good mates, and most importantly, good tunes.
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In such a short time, the festival has already managed to firmly establish itself as one of the country’s big players in the festival scene, giving Canberra one of its biggest days of music on the calendar. It’s all going down on November 5, and you can find out more here.
Gizzfest – VIC
Speaking of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, what better way to celebrate one of Australia’s most prolific bands than by going to a whole festival curated and headlined by them? Gizzfest has one of the most brutal Aussie festivals going around lately, with some of the best rock groups in Australia coming together for a festival that is topped off by none other than King Gizz themselves.
With recent festivals proving themselves to be some of the highlights of the year, there’s no doubt that this year’s not-yet-officially-announced festival will be yet another triumph for a band who already have more than enough on their plate.
Sydney Psych Fest – NSW
How do you like your music? Loud, heavy, psychedelic, fuzzy, booming, or hazy? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then there’s a fair chance that you’d be pretty keen on the Sydney Psych Fest. Dedicated to bringing out some the best psychedelic rock groups out there today, the fest has been delivering memorable lineups for a few years now, bringing out a sweet lineup featuring Flyying Colours, Carsick Cars, and White + for their 2017 festival.
Needless to say, if you like your music a little bit unpolished (in the best way possible), and throwing in some interesting names from across the world, you’re going to love Sydney Psych Fest.
Groovin’ The Moo – AUS
Groovin’ The Moo is the regional festival on wheels, delivering stellar lineups across the country as it travels to various regional areas in VIC, SA, WA, NSW, QLD and the ACT, proving itself time and time again as a genuine highlight on the Aussie festival calendar.
Thanks to a lineup this year that brought Violent Soho, Against Me!, The Wombats and Tash Sultana (although sadly she cancelled on a couple), plus so much more around the festival grounds, we’re pretty sure the veteran festival is going to be around for plenty more years to come.
A Day Of Clarity – SA
What’s better than a day full of great music? Why, a day full of great free music, of course! A Day Of Clarity is run by the owners of Adelaide’s Clarity Records and provides the South Aussie capital with a day full of awesome local and interstate bands, spread across a whole bunch of local venues, all for free.
With previous festivals being headlined by some excellent names like the Hard-Ons, Cosmic Psychos, Screamfeeder, Hockey Dad, and more, A Day Of Clarity just gives you one more reason to go out an support your local record store.
Let Them Eat Cake – VIC
Australia’s boutique electronic festival brings a touch of class to the all-day rave, offering up some of the most respected names in a variety of electronic genres in the stunning surrounds of the Werribee Mansion. The biggest artists from Australia and the world play on some of the most impressive stage setups our country has to offer, and Let Them Eat Cake is the one festival to make it to on New Year’s Day, even if you’ve been clubbing all night.
The last three years have seen Four Tet, John Hopkins, Hudson Mohawke, Todd Terje, Cut Chemist, Maribou State and more lead the lineups, and we can’t wait to hear what they have in store for us next time around.
The Blurst Of Times – QLD
Queensland gets itself quite a lot of decent music festivals, and one need no look further than Fortitude Valley’s The Blurst Of Tmes Festival to see proof of one of the coolest festivals in the country. With a penchant for delivering lineups that focus on some of the best Aussie artists, this year saw Skegss, Ngaiire, Royal Headache, The Creases, and many more descend upon the Valley for a day full of some of the best local music going around.
Listen Out – AUS
Listen Out is undoubtedly the festival to hit up if you’re looking for some of the best electronic and hip-hop acts going around, both locally and internationally. Despite having a few issues with noise complaints to contend with, the festival has kept growing and manages to bring out some of the biggest rappers, producers and DJs in the world, plus a seasoning of other genres to tie it all together.
Featuring acts such as A$AP Ferg, Anderson .Paak, Stormzy, and Childish Gambino over the years, and names like Duke Dumont and Future heading up the 2017 edition, Listen Out is definitely one you’ll want to add to your bucket list if you’re in need of a break from rock.
Sugar Mountain
Sugar Mountain is undoubtedly one of Australia’s best summer festivals, with lineups that feature huge names such as The Avalanches, Hot Chip, Big Scary, Dirty Three, and Courtney Barnett, the folks behind Sugar Mountain know exactly what the average Aussie festivalgoer wants, and they deliver it in one of the best and most stylish ways possible. Quickly becoming one of Australia’s must-see fests, Sugar Mountain is set to be a favourite for years to come.
Maroochy Music and Visual Arts Festival kicks off August 26 in the heart of the Sunshine Coast, packing Bernard Fanning, Gang of Youths, The Presets, Alison Wonderland, Horrorshow and more. Tickets are on sale now, and you can check it all out right here.
