YHA Australia give us their dollar’s worth on the very best in music, arts and partying in the country:
St Jerome’s Laneway Festival
Where: Melbourne, VIC | Sydney, NSW | Brisbane, QLD | Adelaide, SA | Fremantle, WA
When: February
Why: The boutique indie music festival, started in a Melbourne laneway (duh!) back in 2005, now tours five Australian cities and internationally in Singapore, New Zealand and US. From showcasing up-and-coming local talents to hosting a line-up of international big names, Laneway never disappoints. Whether you’re a music snob or a newbie bursting into the indie music scene, this is one for the bucket list.
Where to stay: Melbourne Central YHA | Sydney Central YHA | Brisbane City YHA | Adelaide Central YHA
Falls Festival
Where: Lorne, VIC | Marion Bay, TAS | Yelgun NSW
When: December – January
Why: The Falls Music & Arts Festival is a multi-day music festival held annually in Lorne, Victoria, Marion Bay, Tasmania, and Yelgun, New South Wales, Australia, on New Year’s Eve. The Festival has made its first lineup announcement for its 2015/2016 shenanigans, dropping big names like Bloc Party, Foals, Disclosure, Courtney Barnett and Gary Clark Jr. What better way to bring in the new year?!
Where to stay: Apollo Bay YHA | Hobart YHA
MONA FOMA
Where: Hobart, TAS
When: January
Why: A summer festival of eclectic proportions – the Museum of Old and New Art Festival of Music and Art in Tasmania, Australia, is curated by Brian Ritchie (Violent Femmes) and brings a beguiling mixed-bag of music and art to the island state. From post-punk to avant-garde orchestras, inflatables, installations and performance art, MOFO sprawls unconventionally across Hobart each January.
Where to stay: Hobart YHA
Sydney Festival
Where: Sydney, NSW
When: January
Why: Sydney Festival is a major arts festival that runs for three weeks every January, since it was established in 1977. The festival program features in excess of 100 events from local and international artists and includes contemporary and classical music, dance, circus, drama, visual arts and artist talks. The festival attracts 500,000 people to its large-scale free outdoor events and 150,000 to its ticketed events. It’s gonna be huge!
Where to stay: Sydney Central YHA | Sydney Harbour YHA | Railway Square YHA
Soundwave
Where: Brisbane QLD, Sydney NSW, Melbourne VIC
When: January
Why: Soundwave is an annual music festival held in major cities around Oz. The festival originated in Perth and began travelling to the other Australian capital cities in 2007. It features a number of international and Australian music acts, from various genres but is mostly one for the metal heads out there. Rock on!
Where to stay: Brisbane City YHA | Sydney Central YHA | Melbourne Central YHA
Found a cool festival in Australia we’ve missed? Give us a shout and tell us your favourite below.
