The schedule is honestly far too huge for us to do justice, so you're just going to have to check it out for yourself.
All day and night on 28 October, more than 220 artists will peform in restaurants, bocce and bowls clubs, cafes, record stores, and more.
The Eighty-Six celebrates the live music culture of Northcote, Thornbury, Preston and Reservoir, along the iconic 86 tram route, with this stretch of High Street home to one of the highest concentrations of music venues in the world.
The festival has teamed up with the wider music industry and a diverse mix of more than 200 small businesses to deliver the inaugural event, including the massive free Super Saturday program.
Super Saturday program revealed
- All day and night on 28 October
- The Super Saturday playlist is here.
- Check out the full schedule here.
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Super Saturday offers something for all music lovers, from family-friendly gigs in cafes to events showcasing Victorian acts from Kaiit, Clamm, Briggs, and Batts to Normie Rowe, who started his career in Preston.
The music extravaganza will also feature the 1800 Street Party, a celebration of local music, food and beverage traders, curated by Thornbury restaurant 1800 Lasagne. The festival’s closing weekend from 28-29 October also features the Independent Music Exchange, a free expo showcasing Australia’s independent record labels.
Thornbury’s Program Records – one of only a handful of vinyl pressing plants in Australia – has already benefited from The Eighty-Six, with the plant pressing more than 10,000 records in readiness for the expo.
“The Eighty-Six is a great snapshot of the Victorian music scene right now,” The Eighty-Six Co-Founder & Artistic Director, Woody McDonald said. “We have enjoyed working alongside so many curatorial voices in piecing together a top shelf display of Melbourne music culture. Get on board. Ding Ding!”
Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks said, “From a vinyl pressing plant that has been working overtime to meet demand, to restaurants and retailers preparing for a bumper weekend, we’re already seeing the impact creative festivals can have on local businesses. The Eighty-Six is going to be an event like no other and it could only happen here in Melbourne, Australia’s live music heartland.”
“The countdown is on for the Eighty-Six festival with hundreds of local businesses along our tram route ready to celebrate the creativity, culture and iconic live music soul of the inner north,” Member for Northcote Kat Theophanous added.
Check out the full schedule here.
