Over the long weekend, Pitch Music & Arts Festival returned to the Grampian Plains for its ninth edition, and I returned for my fourth.
Having amassed a fair share of festival experience, packing for Pitch has become something of a fine science.
Gone are the days when my suitcase heaved from fairy costumes and glittery seven-inch platform boots; now, the biggest weight in my luggage comes from practical essentials – a.k.a a generous stash of Cheese and Bacon rolls.
Like packing, the reasons people return to Pitch evolve over time. While many are drawn by the festival’s acclaimed electronic lineup, others relish the chance to depart from the mundane and spend four days with their closest friends, set against a grand mountainous backdrop, dancing among the twisted trunks of eucalyptus trees.
Stripped of domestic comforts and daily luxuries, what remains are the luxuries of being: camaraderie, connection, and the delight of the present moment.
Of course, the music remains central to the experience. This year, however, the lineup faced unexpected turbulence. Belgium-based DJ Odymel was removed from the festival following allegations of misconduct, and, just two weeks later, headliners Charlotte de Witte and Sedef Adasï were forced to withdraw after escalating conflict in the Middle East caused travel disruptions. Yet if there’s one thing that underscores Pitch’s success and survival, it’s adaptability.
Check out our gig guide, our festival guide, our live music venue guide and our nightclub guide. Follow us on Instagram here.
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Dawn to Dance
A steady procession of 4WDs and crowded hatchbacks rolled into the festival grounds, with eager attendees arriving before dawn on Friday to secure prime camping spots. As the clouds cleared, attendees set up their temporary homes under harsh sun, stoking the embers of a promising weekend.
Groups flocked to one of three stages, each showcasing a distinct musical style and atmosphere. At the heart of it all stood the Pitch One stage, designed by architects Ambrose Zacharakis and Henry Howson ; a marvel by day and scintillating by night. Smoke and lights danced across its brutalist structure, breathing life into its design.
The crowd was awash with eskies stacked in trolleys and portable beer pong tables – and, with onsite bars still absent, revellers took to fashioning their own. The doof stick tradition was alive and well, with towering markers bobbing above the crowd, serving as the meeting place for strangers and friends alike.
This year, however, they weren’t strictly necessary for some attendees: for the first time in my festival history, phone reception was available, courtesy of a temporary Cell on Wheels.
Unsurprisingly, the Chuleo Club takeover, with an opening set by Zalina, set the standard for the weekend, kicking things off with her signature energy and flair on the Pitch One stage. Across the festival grounds, at the Resident Advisor stage, Rita Bass eased the crowd into a dreamlike trance with her ethereal sound, while Gabriel Muñoz ushered in Pitch Black with rich, rolling basslines.
The list of incredible DJs is exhaustive; so extensive, in fact, that listing them all might just break the internet. Instead, here are my personal highlights: C.FRIM, Girls Don’t Sync, STÜM, Manuka Honey and CC: Disco!, JNETT, Vladimir Dubyshkin, Eris Drew, Octa Octa and of course, the fabulous Tina Disco, each weaving their own thread into the festival’s rich musical tapestry.
…and arts!
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The arts form a cornerstone of the Pitch experience, providing as much wonder and engagement as the music itself. This year, organisers appointed Anna Nalpantidis and Tom Supple as Arts Curators, whose impressive portfolios spans Dark Mofo, Rising Festival and Vivid Sydney.
Looming like a deity over the festival grounds, Travis Ficarra’s Chocolate Goblin – a naked, kneeling creature in stark white – watched over the revelry with a presence at once mischievous and maternal. Just a few hundred metres away, Luke George and Phaenomenon’s Axis stretched its neon orange frets taut through a eucalyptus tree, glowing like a luminous thread woven through the landscape. Nearby, House of Unholy and Marcus Whale’s SEEP enveloped entrants in a hypnotic light and soundscape.
Pitch Pavillion offered reprieve from the festival’s chaos, I am, of course, referring to its steady supply of Mint Slices and lemon water, but the art and performance pieces were pretty cool too.
Most notably, Joyce Liu’s performance on Sunday night captivated onlookers. On a sandy stage, tethered to metal scaffolding by black cords, and clad in minimal white clothing partially obscured by plastic curtains, Joyce moved with precise and fluid gestures. I watched as one girl mouthed “wow” to her friend, articulating the impressiveness felt by all in the room.
Take it away, Ernie
Overall, the most beautiful moments of this festival, for me, resided in the most innocuous: the beaming security guard who moved through the crowd with ease, armed with a bubble gun; joining hands with my girlfriends when we realised it was International Women’s Day; or the man who proudly showed off the fact that he was missing his big toe.
And though Pitch changes its lineup and arts program every year, the one constant is the space it creates for moments like these; fleeting, obscure, but nonetheless pure moments that linger long after the festival’s close.
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