Following a hugely successful year in 2014, the organisers of the annual Yours & Owls Music & Arts Festival are returning for 2015, with a huge lineup and even a considerable expansion, with multiple days and weekend camping.

This year’s festivities are set to kick off at Stuart Park in Wollongong, which served as the festival’s trusty home for its sold-out 2014 event, on Friday, 2nd October and will continue until Saturday, 3rd October, with entertainment provided by Yours & Owls’ biggest lineup yet.

To celebrate Yours & Owls happening this weekend, we’ve decided to explain just why this is potentially one of Australia’s best new festivals.

Potentially The Strongest Local Festival Line Up

What makes Yours & Owls line up so exciting is that the crew have managed to focus on building a very Aussie focussed line up while managing to explore so many different genres within the line up.

One of the country’s biggest breakthrough stores The Preatures will be headlining alongside Cloud Control and 2015’s band of the year Gang Of Youths who are riding high after an acclaimed album release. If roots is your flavour you can catch (young) Aussie roots veteran Ash Grunwald, or if garage rock is more your thing don’t miss The Pinheads whose guitar driven pop is bound to blow the stage apart.

Explore The ‘Gong

Often overlooked for more urban centres, it’s easy to forget that Wollongong is actually home to a vibrant local arts and music culture. As the festival’s organiser Ben Tillman explained to us in a recent interview, the birth of Yours & Owls comes in the wake of a number of healthy club nights and live shows.

As Tillman explains “the parties [he threw] were really successful, and from there it led to more one off parties, being asked to regularly book a venue” he then went on to take on new venues to book, started “a record label and then finally making the call to do a festival.” All this was possible thanks to the town’s supportive and swelling music and arts culture.

Bang For Your Buck

The three day, four night camping festival is incredibly cheap and the options plentiful. The are options for single day tickets ($35-$65, depending on day), two day ‘weekender’ tickets are just $90 and if you’re in for the long haul the Friday – Sunday, three days, two nights tickets and camping will set you back $190, essentially the same price of many single day festivals.

One Stage = You Won’t Miss A Thing

If you ask Meredith and Golden Plains veterans their favourite things about said festivals many will explain that the single stage set up is a major drawcard, it means that you don’t have to stress about running to different stages across the festival grounds to catch acts.

Plonk yourself down in a comfy spot near the stage and you’re done. It’s all about quality over quantity and as we stated before Yours & Owls is nothing but quality.

Indie Festivals Are Like Huge Parties

[include_post id=”459823″]The progression from Yours & Owls/ Farmer & The Owl being a record label and party night into a festival was very organic.

As Tillman told us ““It was just a natural progression I think. From throwing more and more shows, and them gradually getting bigger and bigger, it just got to the point where it made sense to start doing them outside and in a bigger and more unique environment.” Rather than being born from a vested corporate interest, Yours & Owls was spawned from parties and manages to maintain that ethos.

The Best Way To Support Aussie Grassroots Promoters

As you are probably are aware, the best way to support the growth of Aussie music is to go out and actually support it! Go out and see live music, buy tickets to shows you think are exciting, because ultimately that’s the only way to keep this culture alive. Party with a purpose!

Yours & Owls 2015

The Preatures
Cloud Control
The Delta Riggs
The Rubens
Gang Of Youths
Saskwatch
The Smith Street Band
Ash Grunwald
Bahamas
Salmonella Dub Soundsystem
Shining Bird
The Pinheads

Friday, 2nd October – Saturday, 3rd October 2015
Stuart Park, North Wollongong NSW
Tickets: Yours & Owls

Header photo credit Chris Frape, source: Yours & Owls Facebook 

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