With major music events like Harvest, Falls, Southbound, Fat As Butter, Stereosonic and Queenscliff Music Festival all recently announcing their lineups – along with Big Day Out just around the corner – we think it’s safe to say festival season fever is mounting.
‘But what about the kids!?’ we hear you (maybe) asking. Well, never fear, because a new music festival targeted at ‘tweens’ has been put together, headlined by “our most successful TV talent quest graduates.” Deep breaths…
News Ltd reports on the new potential terror, asking “what’s green and goes pop?”
No, it’s not your ears after enduring five hours of caterwauling from reality TV singers, it’s Slimefest – the first major music event of its kind targeted at the tween market.
With Jessica Mauboy, Reece Mastin, Justice Crew, Stan Walker and Johnny Ruffo all signing on to the festival, scheduled for an appearance at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on September 15, it’s guaranteed to get ‘the youth’ out in ill-fitting tanktops and jeggings just like their older siblings.
“There’s all these festivals out there but there are certain age limits so this one is for them,” says headliner and Australian Idol runner-up Jessica Mauboy. Heralding the festival that’s catering to the kids who aren’t old enough for the serious music festivals but still want to get out and experience some live music (just hold your ironic sniggers please).
The all-day event presumably won’t feature beer tents, the warm fug of ‘recreational’ smoke, or even an abundance of sniffer dogs, but Slimefest is living up to its name by providing a gimmick for concert-goers all its own: slime.
A product of Nickelodeon, who regularly use slime in their bevy of kids-targeted game shows, is bringing the full ‘gacking’ experience to live music event. “That’s a big advantage this festival will have,” says X Factor finalist, Johnny Ruffo, “you don’t get slimed at the other festivals. I’m just hoping it’s lime or apple-flavoured.”
Nickelodeon put together Slimefest off the back of their successful Kids’ Choice Awards, the Will Smith-hosted awards ceremony that featured musical and not-so-musical nominees alike getting slimed in “the biggest event in slime time”.
Ben Richardson, General Manager of Nickelodeon Australia and NZ, added to the ‘slime’ word count, saying “fans of the Australian Kids’ Choice Awards can expect Slimefest to be a next-level concert experience, injected with spectacular slime stunts… of course we will also be giving the show a national broadcast,” says Richardson. “Extending the excitement to kids and tweens at home. Our mission with this new event is to deliver the slime experience to more kids and tweens than ever before – watch out for some sliming world records to be broken!”
Tickets for the tween music festival to go on sale on July 27, and if the inaugural event proves big enough, it may be taken nationally next year.
In honour of the new tween festival, we’ve already gifted them with their very own meme. Enjoy.
