Ever since 1980, the beloved St Kilda Festival has been held in the seaside suburb with which it shares a name.
From humble beginnings, the annual event has grown and expanded with each and every year, slowly reaching such heights that it now boasts the title of Australia’s largest community festival.
Proudly produced by the City of Port Phillip and a rite of passage for culture-loving Melburnians, the event stands tall as a celebration of community spirit, Australian talent, and the beautiful St Kilda foreshore on which it is held. So too does the audience resonate with the affair, with its 2023 edition bringing in more than 375,000 punters to soak in the festivities.
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Now, with the summer heat (finally) in full swing, Australia’s biggest free, all-ages music festival is gearing up to take place on the weekend of February 17 and 18, with its nascent two-day format proving to be a major success in its debut outing last year.
For its 43rd edition, the St Kilda Festival launches its proceedings by holding their First Peoples First day on Saturday, February 17th. A dedicated First Peoples Festival Day, the opening half of the event boasts a music lineup that showcases established and emerging artists from the main stage on the St Kilda beach foreshore, including Birren, Charlie Needs Braces, Pirritu, The Merindas, Ziggy Ramo, and many more.
On Sunday, February 18th, the St Kilda Festival will host Big Festival Sunday – a large-scale, multi-stage event that will showcase more than 50 artists and bands across the day.
Back in September, the festival launched its annual New Music Competition, urging up-and-coming artists to put themselves forward as one of the ten acts to play on the New Music Stage. With passionate audiences then being given the chance to vote on what they’ve heard, the winning band takes home a $5,000 cash prize and a guaranteed spot on the Main Stage in 2025.
Since 2007, the New Music Competition has been a goldmine of emerging talent, with names like Baker Boy and Client Liaison going onto massive and widespread fame.
This year, the ten finalists represent a diverse variety of sounds – from electronic jazz rock, rock n’ roll, alternative pop, dance, hip-hop, R&B, to groove-heavy indie rock – with Mulga Bore Hard Rock, Brekky Boy, Good Pash, Jewel Owusu, Lewis Coleman, Mathilde Anne, MUDRAT, Romanie, TAB Family, and Winten all joining the lineup. Needless to say, it’s a rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor for a number of talented artists.
For its wider lineup, the festival began sharing details in early January, revealing the three big names who would headline affairs. Kicking off with 25-year-old ARIA Award-nominated Brisbane singer, rapper and musician Mallrat (AKA Grace Shaw), the bill also features neo-soul musician Mo’Ju, who returns to headline First Peoples First fresh off the release of their long-awaited album, Oro, Plata, Mata.
“It’s really just been really cool and fun to do,” Mo’Ju told us. “I mean, there’s been a lot to figure out, because we made this album over the last couple of years in lockdown. A lot of it was done in isolation or these small snippets of time where we were able to be together. Figuring out how to do that live now has been challenging but fun.
“I think it’s a wild thing we’ve done – to look back at it now and say, ‘Wow, we really went to town.’ Usually I’d get to this point and be doubting it and hating it, and just looking forward to the next thing, and wondering how I could do better. But this time around… I’m really proud of this record… and I’m really excited to get to do that live.”
Last, but not least, veteran Sydney dance act Bag Raiders take up top billing on the Main Stage Sunday lineup, preparing a set full of their classic party hits that will undeniably leave punters feeling euphoric as the festivities wind up for another year.
This year also features appearances from numerous other acts to round out the affair, including a double-shot of Melbourne musos such genre-defying indie trio Telenova, and Indigenous Australian pop duo The Merindas, alongside Sunshine Coast musician Julian Munyard, who opens up the Main Stage following his winning appearance on the New Music Stage in 2023.
Alongside its traditional music lineup, the 2024 edition of St Kilda Festival also boasts plenty of other events and festivities, including dance performances, workshops, sports demonstrations, community group activities, food and market stalls, roving entertainment, and a family-friendly stage.
For decades now, St Kilda Festival has maintained a respectable position on the schedules of all music, culture, and arts lovers, deservedly setting itself apart as Australia’s largest community festival. A masterful celebration of homegrown talent and creativity, and a reminder of what makes Melbourne great, even a cursory look at this year’s event is enough to see that St Kilda Festival’s glowing reputation isn’t just fitting but well-deserved.
Visit the St Kilda Festival website here.
