Ditch the countdown crowds, because Tanglewood Music & Arts Festival is bringing a small-scale bush New Year's to Thornton.
Tucked away in the Victorian bush, about two hours northeast of Melbourne, Tanglewood Music & Arts Festival returns to Thornton from 30 December to 2 January.
The bush setting sits well away from the usual city countdown parties, and the vibe is boutique and family-friendly, built around live music, art and community.
Organisers keep ticket numbers capped on purpose to protect the cosy atmosphere, which has turned the festival into a favourite with punters who keep coming back.
Now in its 12th year, Tanglewood’s journey began in 2012 as French Fest, running in its original form for three years before evolving into Tanglewood in 2015. Since then, it has continued to grow organically, staying true to its grassroots origins and community spirit.
Rather than chasing huge crowds or big-name headliners, the festival pumps its money back into the artists, production and experiences on site. That sets up a platform where established performers and a stack of up-and-coming talent share the bill.
Tanglewood Music & Arts Festival
- 30 December – 2 January
- Thornton, Victoria
- Boutique, family-friendly and BYO
- Music across acoustic, folk, rock, funk, reggae, hip hop, bass, drum and bass, trance, techno and more
- Art, workshops, markets, roving performers and kids’ activities
- Tickets here
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First release lineup
The first release lineup is a mixed bag of emerging artists, local favourites and established acts.
Expect live bands and roots music alongside electronic and bass-driven sounds, so the folk fans and the techno heads both have something to dig into.
That spread runs from acoustic, folk and rock at one end through reggae, hip hop and drum and bass, all the way to trance and techno at the other. With more than 40 acts announced so far, there’s plenty of time to plan a schedule before the gates open.
The opening batch of names includes Ashez, Brojanowski, Egons Embrace, Goreiju, Formidable Vegetable, Grace Chia, K+Lab, Mantis Mash, Moodswing & Chevy Bass, Pspiralife, Solarythm, Feral & Spekki Webu, Subtribe, Tetrameth, Tribone and Truth.
Also on the bill are Aaralku, Ambler, Avaxa, Bones + All, Bray, Flash Poetry, Ganga Giri, Haber, Hoodat, Kensho, Kodiak Kid, Level, Naïve Atom, Rhythm Arcadia, Roberta, Safira, Smilk, Sumiruna, Tangela, The Coolabahs, The Mishto! Contraband, The Redwoods, Thunderspeaks, Tilda, Timmus and Unknown Concept.
Beyond the stages
The program isn’t only about what’s happening on stage.
Art, workshops, markets and roving performers are spread across the site, and kids’ activities sit alongside them, which suits a festival that’s built for the whole family.
That four-day run covers New Year’s Eve and spills into the first days of the year, so there’s room to ease into 2027 rather than cram everything into one night.
It’s also a BYO affair, so check the festival’s website for the specifics on what that covers before packing the car.
Between the capped crowds, the genre-hopping program and everything happening away from the stages, Tanglewood swaps size for atmosphere when it comes to seeing in the new year.
The idea is simple: keep it small, keep the focus on the music, art and people, and let the good feeling come from being there.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Tanglewood Music & Arts Festival.
