Later this month sees the introduction of a unique new boutique music event to the Aussie festival landscape.
Describing itself as the “music and food event Sydney has been waiting for,” Lost Picnic combines an all-Aussie lineup with – you guessed it – picnicking.
Taking place in Centennial Park on Sunday 23rd March, patrons will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Megan Washington, The Rubens, Emma Louise, Dustin Tebbutt, and more while chowing down on an equally impressive lineup of gourmet picnic hampers filled with fine eats and nibbles and packaged together in association with Sydney’s local restaurants and chefs.
The Lost Picnic menu offers smoked meats, locally sourced produce, cheeses, salads, sauces, delicious sweets, and more than enough to have the tongues of the older demographic (between 25 – 40 years old) that its aimed at drooling (head here to view the full selection).
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that Lost Picnic is the brainchild of two music promoters turned restauranteurs, Wade Cawood and Simon Beckingham, the part owners of Bondi’s Panama House and The Corner House as well as the newly launched Garden Bar (which will also be on site at Lost Picnic).
Beckingham grew up during the exciting backdrop of Manchester’s 90s electronic movement, “when the Haçienda had its hey-day.” This passion for the ‘Madchester’ scene led him to promote and represent DJs, a love that followed him to Australia, where he and Cawood began promoting Sydney dance events. A shift in industries later, and the pair saw a unique opportunity.
“I’ve always had a love for great food,” says Beckingham. “Lost Picnic is a manifestation of where I am at now in my life.”
The new food and music hybrid event emerges during an interesting time of flux for the Australian market, following a year that saw the cancellation of multiple events (including Sydney’s Homebake and Harvest Festival), while marquee names like Big Day Out and Soundwave have both struggled through difficult 2014 tours (leading to both festivals’ axing Perth from their tour itineraries).
Lost Picnic however, has emerged as part of a new breed of music events with a smaller, boutique approach. A growing waves that includes established entities as much as it does debut events, like Tasmania’s Panama, Victoria’s Paradise, Cornulla’s Endless Summer Music Festival, and the first-ever Mountain Sounds Festival, launching on the Central Coast later this month.
So how do two Sydneysiders with a penchant for gourmet food decide that now was as good a time as any to enter into the competitive Aussie music festival market?
We went direct to Simon Beckingham to pick the picnic festival organiser’s brain, and in doing so unearthed a few valuable lessons that budding festival promoters could learn from. Beginning with a simple lesson; “timing is everything.”
Offer Something New
“Lost Picnic is about the whole experience combining great music with great food. It is a reflection of where Sydney food, drink, and music culture is at, with award winning acts, local produce and boutique alcohol brands. Attention to detail in every aspect… [It’s] bringing all our passions into one event.”
Find A Niche, And Fill It
“We felt there is a disconnection between events and what is actually happening in restaurants and bars in Sydney. We run two restaurants in Bondi (The Corner House and Panama House) and we see what people want and expect. We wanted to bring those elements into an event where the music compliments that experience.”
Think Local, Support Local
“We wanted to curate an all Australian line up as we believe there is some amazing home-grown talent at the moment. The Rubens were the stand out band for us last year and we believe Megan Washington will be the standout this year.“We will blow people’s minds when they come into the event.”
“We couldn’t think of a better way to watch the likes of Emma Louise [and] Dustin Tebbutt whilst sitting back and enjoying a glass of wine. To open with Sons of the East sets the perfect tone for the day. We want to see everyone up and dancing on their blankets by the end of the day!”
The Way To A Festival-Goer’s Heart Is Through Their Tummy
“Sharing food is one of the oldest ways to socialise, why not put that philosophy into an event on a grander scale?
“Everything from the decor, games, hampers, alcohol offering, to the production and most of all not forgetting the setting. We just rolled out the Garden Bar at the Opera House for example, which has been a huge success. So we’ve decided to drop the whole set up into the event – day beds, banquette seating, and lovely shaded areas.
“We will blow people’s minds when they come into the event.”
Smaller Events Are The Way Forward
“There are some huge success stories for large-scale events and some failures. I think the success stories will continue to grow as they have found their market and perfected their business model. For me personally, I’m interested in the smaller boutique events with more of a community feel. That’s where I want to spend my time.
“The whole event market is going through a transition. Hopefully we will see a new wave of exciting events coming through the ranks and Lost Picnic will be one of them.”
Gourmet Picnics Is Just The Beginning
“There’s a boutique camping festival in the UK called Wilderness, which nailed the attention to detail and overall life style experience. Jamie Oliver launched a foodie festival in the UK [The Big Festival], which has been a huge success – even the standard and creativity you see at local famers markets are inspiring.
“This combination of ideas is the tip of the iceberg. There are so many amazing multi experience ideas out there.”
What’s Next?
“We would like to take Lost Picnic into other territories next year and slowly grow it in Sydney. We are planning to launch a camping festival towards the end of this year called Lost Paradise.”
Lost Picnic 2014 Lineup
Megan Washington
The Rubens
Emma Louise
Dustin Tebbutt
Sons Of The East
Lost Picnic 2014 Dates, Tickets
Sunday 23rd March 2014 – Loch Avenue South Area @ Centennial Park, Sydney
First release tickets: $89 (+b/f)
Gourmet hampers serving 2-3: $69 (available from 15th January)
More info: www.lostpicnic.net
