2013-2014 Festival Guide – Down Under

When it's the winter of austerity in Europe & North America, it's summertime & the living is easy down in the southern hemisphere. So swing down to Australia...
2013-2014 Festival Guide - Down Under

2013-2014 Festival Guide - Down Under

When it’s the winter of austerity in Europe & North America, it’s summertime & the living is easy down in the southern hemisphere.  So swing down to Australia & New Zealand & Festival Guide for Down Under (see last year’s here):

The Oceanic music festivals don’t just feature the fixed locale ones around New Year’s that you find in the stodgy Northern Hemisphere, but also traveling ones at the start of 2013, ranging from either side of the Outback to either side of the Tasman Sea:

 


View QRO Magazine 2013/2014 Festival Guide Down Under in a larger map

 

Stationary

Queenscliff

What: Queenscliff
Where: Queenscliff, VIC
When:
November 22-24
Who: The Living End, John Buttler Trio, The Grates, Spiderbait, Blue King Brown, San Cisco, Pez, The Preatures, The Trouble With Templeton, and more
Why: As Australia warms up, check out this local festival.
Web: www.qmf.net.au

 

Meredith

What: Meredith
Where: Meredith, VIC
When:
December 13-15
Who: The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Deerhunter, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, Melvins, Joey Bada$$, Mac DeMarco, Helmet, Jon Hopkins, LE1F, and more
Why: Meredith Music Festival is old enough to drink (even in the States) with another nice mix of Aussie & elsewhere.
Web: www.mmf.com.au

 

The Falls

What: The Falls
Where: Marion Bay, TAS; Lorne, VIC; Byron, NSW
When
: December 28 – January 3
Who: Vampire Weekend, MGMT, The Roots, Grizzly Bear, Violent Femmes, Solange, Johnny Marr, Tom Odell, The Cat Empire, !!!, The Wombats, The War On Drugs, Pond, Bonobo, Hanni El Khatib, White Denim, Crystal Fighters, Big Scary, The Rubens, and more
Why: Why spend New Year’s in one state, when you can spend it in three?  The Falls Festival started in 1993 in Lorne, but in 2003 spread across the Bass Strait to Marion Bay, and now comes to Bryon in New South Wales, with acts playing all three campgrounds.
Web: www.fallsfestival.com/au

 

Rhythm & Vines

What: Rhythm & Vines
Where: Gisborne, New Zealand
When
: December 29-31
Who: Wiz Khalifa, Empire of the Sun, Rudimental, Shapeshifter, Flux Pavilion, Metrik, Kill the Noise, Julio Bashmore, Zane Lowe, and more
Why: Say goodbye to 2013/hello to 2014 in the first city in the world to get the new year.
Web: www.rhythmandvines.co.nz

 

New Year's Eve On the Hill

What: New Year’s Eve On the Hill
Where: Melbourne, VIC
When
: December 31
Who: Loon Lake, Wagons, Pigeon, Money For Rope, Hayden Calnin, and more
Why: The Hills Are Alive (see below) throw a local New Year’s Eve party – on the Hill, of course.
Web: www.nyeonthehill.com.au

 

Field Day

What: Field Day
Where: Sydney, NSW
When
: January 1
Who: A$AP Rocky, Wiz Khalifa, Solange, The Wombats, Flux Pavilion, Crystal Fighters, Panama, and more
Why: Celebrate 2013 with an electro-dance party at The Domain in Sydney.
Web: www.fielddaynyd.com.au

 

Southbound

What: Southbound
Where: Busselton, WA
When
: January 3-4
Who: Vampire Weekend, MGMT, The Roots, The Wombats, Crystal Fighters, Grizzly Bear, Neil Finn, !!!, Violent Femmes, The Cat Empire, Bonobo, Pond, The Rubens, Solange, Big Scary, Tom Odell, Hanni El Khatib, White Denim, The War On Drugs, and more
Why: The standing festival heads west, as many of the acts that spent New Year’s Eve in the southeast go to Western Australia’s Sir Stewart Bovell Park the following weekend.
Web: www.southboundfestival.com.au

 

Sydney

What: Sydney
Where: Sydney, NSW
When
: January 9-26
Who: Cat Power, Amanda Palmer, Big Star’s Third, Mick Harvey, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Amadou & Mariam, Kurt Vile, Sinkane, The Staves, Bombino, Matmos, Sun Ra Arkestra, Edwyn Collins, Jonathan Toubin, and more
Why: Sydney celebrates the southern summer at venues across the city across January.
Web: www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2014

 

Perth International Arts

What: Perth International Arts
Where: Perth, WA
When:
February 7 – March 1
Who: The National, Public Enemy, Okkervil River, Wire, DJ Shadow, Charles Bradley, Madelein Peyroux, Booker T. Jones, Austra, Daughn Gibson, Pond, Ebony Bones, Julia Holter, Husky, and more
Why: Perth welcomes arts from around the world.
Web: www.perthfestival.com.au

 

Port Fairy Folk

What: Port Fairy Folk
Where: Port Fairy, VIC
When
: March 7-10
Who: The Greencards, Justin Johnson, Pieta Brown, Madeleine Peyroux, The Stray Sisters, Tequila Mockingbirds, The Band Who Knew To Much, and more
Why: Folk heads to Port Fairy.
Web: www.portfairyfolkfestival.com

 

Golden Plains

What: Golden Plains
Where: Meredith, VIC
When
: March 8-10
Who: Public Enemy, Flying Lotus, You Am I, Neko Case, Yo La Tengo, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Cut Copy, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, The Drones, Gold Panda, Hiatus Kaiyote, and more
Why: Celebrate the antipode autumn on the Golden Plains.
Web: www.goldenplains.com.au

 

The Hill's Are Alive

What: The Hills Are Alive
Where: South Gippsland, VIC
When
: March 29-30
Who: Sticky Fingers, Papa vs. Pretty, Willow Beats, Jakubi, and more
Why: The Hills Are Alive with music.
Web: thehillsarealive.com.au

 

West Coast Blues 'n' Roots

What: West Coast Blues ‘n’ Roots
Where: Fremantle, WA
When
: April 13
Who: Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Doobie Brothers, Erykah Badu, Jake Bugg, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Gary Clark Jr., Morcheeba, The Soul Rebels, and more
Why: Head to the West Coast for some Blues ‘n’ Roots ‘n’ more. See much more in our 2013 photo gallery here
Web: westcoastbluesnroots.com.au

 

Byron Bay Bluesfest

What: Byron Bay Bluesfest
Where: Byron Bay, NSW
When
: April 17-21
Who: Elvis Costello & The Imposters, John Mayer, Dave Matthew Band, Jeff Beck, Iron & Wine, Jack Johnson, Jake Bugg, Morcheeba, Aaron Neville, Erykah Badu, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Gregg Allman, Doobie Brothers, Chali 2na, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Suzanne Vega, KT Tunstall, Gary Clark Jr., Gov’t Mule, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Devendra Banhart, Jason Isbell, Jimmie Vaughn, Dr. John, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Wailers, Allen Stone, North Mississippi Allstars, Ozomatli, Buddy Guy, John Butler Trio, Charlie Musselwhite, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Soul Rebels, and more
Why: Byron Bay welcomes much more than just the blues.
Web: www.bluesfest.com.au

 

 

Traveling

 

Stereosonic

What: Stereosonic
Where: Sydney, NSW; Perth, WA; Adelaide, SA; Melbourne, VIC; Brisbane, QLD
When
: November 30 – December 8
Who: David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Armin Van Buuren, Claude Vonstroke, Zedd, and more
Why: All the big-name DJs come down under for Stereosonic.
Web: www.stereosonic.com.au

 

Big Day Out

What: Big Day Out
Where: Auckland, New Zealand; Gold Coast, QLD; Melbourne, VIC; Sydney, NSW; Adelaide, SA; Perth, WA
When
: January 17 – February 2
Who: Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, Snoop Dogg, Major Lazer, Steve Angello, Flume, Beady Eye, The Lumineers, Primus, Tame Impaa, The Hives, Defontes, CSS, The Drones, Mac Miller, Flosstradamus, Grouplove, The Naked and Famou, Toro y Moi, Portugal. The Man, Mudhoney, The 1975, Big Gigantic, DZ Deathrays, and more
Why: The biggest traveling festival Down Under has the best acts from all around the world – and returns to New Zealand to boot! See more in our photo gallery of Big Day Out : Perth here
Web: www.bigdayout.com

 

Laneway

What: Laneway
Where: Singapore; Auckland, NZ; Brisbane, QLD; Sydney, NSW; Melbourne, VIC; Adelaide, SA; Perth, WA
When: January 25 – February 8
Who: Lorde, CHVRCHES, Savages, Frightened Rabbit, HAIM, Danny Brown, King Krule, Four Tet, Earl Sweatshirt, Kurt Vile, Warpaint, Jagwar Ma, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Mount Kimbie, Paquet Courts, Autre Ne Veut, Cass McCombs, Daughter, Run the Jewels, The Jezabels, Youth Lagoon, and more
Why: Stretching from New Zealand to Singapore (!). Laneway Festival cements itself as a great traveling festival. Read more in our recap of 2012 Laneway : Melbourne here
Web: www.lanewayfestival.com.au

 

Soundwave

What: Soundwave
Where: Brisbane, QLD; Sydney, NSW; Melbourne, VIC; Adelaide, SA; Perth, WA
When: February 22 – March 3
Who: Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Temple Pilots w/ Chester Bennington, Alice In Chains, A Day To Remember, Rob Zombie, Megadeth, Mastodon, Placebo, AFI, Korn, Jimmy Eat World, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Panic! At the Disco, Eagles of Death Metal, Less Than Jake, Biffy Clyro, Rocket From the Crypt, Baroness, Clutch, Alkaline Trio, Desaparecidos, August Burns Red, Living Colour, GWAR, Stiff Little Fingers, Bowling For Soup, Trash Talk, Mutemath, and more
Why: Soundwave brings the hard rock down under.
Web: www.soundwavefestival.com

 

Future

What: Future
Where: Brisbane, QLD; Perth, WA; Sydney, NSW; Melbourne, VIC; Adelaide, SA
When
: March 1-10
Who: deadmau5, Phoenix, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Knife Party, Chase and Status, Rudimental, Cut Copy, Sub Focus, Tinie Tempah, Hardwell, Kaskade, Eric Prydz, Paul Van Dyk, Porter Robinson, Bassjackers, Baauer, Dada Life, R3HAB, and more
Why: A killer line of dance and more. See more in our photo gallery from 2013 Future Music : Perth here
Web: www.futuremusicfestival.com.au

 

Groovin' the Moo

What: Groovin’ the Moo
Where: Oakbank, SA; Maitland, NSW; Canberra, ACT; Bendingo, VIC; Townsville, QLD; Bunbury, WA
When
: April 25 – May 10
Who: Disclosure, The Presets, The Naked and Famous, Cults, Architecture in Helsinki, Holy Fuck, Robert DeLong, The Jezabels, Karnivool, and more to be announced
Why: Before the Antipodes go into winter, be sure to Groove the Moo. See more in our photo gallery from 2013 Groovin’ the Moo : Bunbury here
Web: www.gtm.net.au

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