The Presets' K.I.M, internationally renowned performers The Huxleys and acclaimed comedian Lizzy Hoo are among dozens of new additions lending their talents to an already jammed bill of festivities hitting Apollo Bay this August.
Wrapped in the darkness and elemental power of the Victorian winter, Dark Arts Festival WinterWild will return to Apollo Bay on August 12-14 and August 26-28 bringing live music, theatre, gourmet food, outdoor performance, installations, beachside bonfires, comedy, swims and cemetery tours to the dark heart of the Otway Coast.
K.I.M. joins beachside party Moongarden on August 27, The Slingers bring their hook-driven country pop and coastal favourites Localles will perform, complementing an existing musical lineup consisting of Amyl and The Sniffers, Cash Savage and The Last Drinks, Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, ORB, Kee’ahn, Leah Senior and Floodlights.
What you need to know
- WinterWild is back over two weekends August 12-14 & August 26-28
- The festival has just expanded its program of music, performance, feasting in a celebration of dark winter energy centred in Apollo Bay.
- The full program and tickets are available online now
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
The Wild Feast on the Apollo Bay foreshore will feature The Apollo Bay Fishermen’s Co-Op showcasing fresh catch from fishing boats, Spanish paella pans, hibachi grills, plus a magical seafood bouillabaisse featuring octopus and deep sea fish. Local producers Hello Coffee and Apollo Bay Distillery have also partnered with the festival to create signature blends exclusively for WinterWild audiences. This bountiful offering is all complemented by food and event design from Long Prawn and free entertainment from The Huxleys, The Fillmores, Alister Turrill, Mike Elrington and more.
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Comedy gets a guernsey this year, with ABC podcaster, TV personality and Melbourne comedy scene favourite, the hilarious Lizzy Hoo, joining the talented Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall, international performer, podcaster and joke writer for TV shows including Mad as Hell and The Project. And emerging talent, Dan Crowley, will forever affect your view of a PowerPoint presentation.
Along with cemetery tours, Qigong, sunrise cold water immersion (no wetsuits allowed!), group somatic sound walks, healing workshops, and yoga combined with live music by the sea, it goes without saying that WinterWild boasts the kind of fantastical programming that often defies description.
“We’re stoked to be emerging from two years’ hibernation with the biggest WinterWild yet” says Festival Director Bill Hurley Fraser.
“The unique nature of the Otway Coast has always been our guiding force, and every corner of this year’s vast festival program highlights that, showcasing some of Australia’s best musical talent, genre-bending performance art and incredible local produce cooked on beachside bonfires – all underpinned by the elements of the local environment at its extreme.”
Previous incarnations have been described as ‘dark, wild and a little bit dirty’. Do you dare?
WinterWild will run across two weekends, from August 12–14 and from August 26–28. To see the full program, head here.
WinterWild is part of On the Road Again, a Victorian Government initiative to bring live music back across the state.
