When?
Saturday December 28 – Sunday January 5.
Where?
Falls Festival takes place over four stunning locations: Lorne, surrounded by the lush, ancient trees within the Otway Rainforest; the Falls farm near the Marion Bay coastline; the tropical paradise that is the North Byron Parklands site and Falls Downtown, taking over the Fremantle Oval Precinct.
Who?
Falls Festival has consistently had punters eagerly awaiting the lineup drop year after year, and 2019 has been no different. With an array of big-name musicians, up-and-coming artists and triple j favourites, spanning a plethora of genres and styles, the 2019 lineup promises to be a big one.
Expect to see Halsey, playing her only Australian shows, Vampire Weekend, Disclosure, Pink Sweat$, Amyl and The Sniffers, Playboi Carti, Of Monsters and Men and Peking Duk. Milky Chance will also perform alongside Aussie icon John Farnham, Vera Blue, Yungblud, Crooked Colours, G Flip, Thelma Plum, Holy Holy, A. Swayze and The Ghosts, Adrian Eagle, Wolfmother, The Jungle Giants, Lime Cordiale and plenty more incredible artists, all spread out amongst the four locations over the jam-packed week.
The history
Heading into its 27th year, the Falls Arts & Music Festival has become somewhat of an institution, a staple in the festival season calendar. Each year, festival-goers head out to the stunning locations to enjoy the ever-changing and growing party atmosphere that Falls fosters. With the best new talent, as well as much-loved favourites headlining the festival year-after-year, it’s no mystery why it’s consistently one of the most-loved and anticipated festivals on the calendar.
What to bring
There’s definitely a few must-have items you’ll need if you’re thinking of heading to Falls; tickets (an obvious one), proof of ID, car pass if you’re thinking of driving into the festival, a tent that works, sleeping bag and pillow, torch and folding chair. Sunglasses are also a must alongside spare clothes, especially warm gear for when the nights get colder, closed toe shoes (break in the Doc Martens pre-festival), a towel, sunscreen and bug repellent. Other things such as snacks, earplugs, a car phone charger, medication and a decent ice-breaker or joke so you can make a few new friends will also come in handy.
Falls is also completely cashless. To make the entire festival experience a bit easier, all payments will be made through payWave and mobile devices – that way you can spend less time waiting in line at the bar and more time getting to the front of the mosh!
Thinking green
The Falls Art & Music Festival dedicates a large amount of time and effort into ensuring that the entire festival is as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. From flush-free composting toilets which save around two-and-a-half million litres of water each year to harvesting rain water for supply to the gas-fired onsite showers, all the measures have been taken to ensure as little impact on the environment is made as possible.
Falls has also teamed up with BYO Bottle to cut down on the amount of single use bottles, meaning you can bring your own refillable drink bottle and refill it for free at one of the refill stations around the festival.
One tip for someone who has never been to a festival
Seek out artists you aren’t familiar with, chances are by the end of the festival you’ll have a new favourite.
One costume recommendation
SpongeBob SquarePants.
One drink that encapsulates Falls Festival
A pina colada – a summer classic you can’t beat!
One must-see performer
John Farnham – this is one singalong you cannot miss.
Tickets
Both Marion Bay and Byron Bay tickets are available from $309 for a three-day ticket, while $349 can get you a four-day ticket at Falls Lorne. Fremantle punters can choose from a single-day ticket from $149 or a full-weekend ticket from $289. There are other ticket options for two-day passes and depending on the location, camping tickets and car passes may be required.
Grab your tickets and find out more about Falls Festival at fallsfestival.com.
