Splendour in the Grass is a long, sometimes wet, and often muddy slog through several days of non-stop music, and sometimes it’s nice to just take a break, put your dirt-encrusted feet up, and take a moment to get some culture of a different kind.
Having made some hilarious appearances at the festival in recent years, the irrepressible science fiend and triple j hero Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki will be giving punters a one-off panel on one of the issues facing anyone unfortunate enough to lose their phones somewhere in the mosh pit, cyber security.
Not only that, but the festival is adding a new location on the map of a festival whose size already rivals that of many small towns, bringing in a new science tent that will boast a few musical performances among its various other science exhibits.
Dr. Karl’s panel will take place in The Forum, which will also host a songwriting panel with Julia Jacklin, Airling, Luca Brasi’s Tyler Richardson and more; a look at The Go-Betweens’ Right Here led by Robert Forster himself; and the female-centric literary discussion Women Of Letters, featuring the likes of Julien Baker, Angie Hart, and Joanna Syme.
You’ll even get to see comedian Tom Gleeson grilling Melbourne senator and Greens’ leader Richard Di Natale, along with plenty of other enlightening chats.
If your brain’s a bit too… elsewhere for any of this stuff, there’ll also be an array of comedians hitting up the Comedy Club across the weekend, including former triple j presenter Matt Okine, who will be appearing as a stand-up rather than a rapper.
All of this comes on top of a lineup already stuffed to the brim with bands like Queens of the Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem and The xx, so anyone fortunate enough to get a ticket will have plenty to keep themselves busy both on and off the stage.
Click through to watch Dr. Karl hit munted punters with some unwelcome festival facts, and check out last year’s discussion below.
