Festival season is coming. Here's how to stop surviving them and start actually loving them.
Festival season is almost here. Big Red Bash kicks off in July, Splendour in the Grass follows hot on its heels on the Gold Coast, then Listen Out and Caloundra round out the year. That's a lot of wristbands, a lot of mud (or dust), and a lot of decisions to make under pressure. So let's talk about how to actually do this properly.
Do Your Homework — But Don't Over-Plan
There's a certain type of festival-goer who prints out a colour-coded timetable and treats the whole weekend like a project plan. Don't be that person. But also don't rock up blind.
The sweet spot is knowing your non-negotiables — the two or three acts you'd genuinely be gutted to miss — and leaving the rest loose. Some of the best festival moments happen when you wander into a set you knew nothing about. That only works if you haven't locked yourself into a rigid schedule.
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If you want to get across emerging artists before a festival hits, start tracking acts playing smaller venues now. A band doing 27 gigs in a season like Open Season, or a consistent touring act like Phil Jamieson, are worth watching at a venue like the Northcote Social Club before you encounter them on a massive stage where half the crowd is just waiting for someone else.
Arrive Early. Every Time.
The opening slots at Australian festivals are chronically underrated. The crowd is thin, the energy is weird in the best way, and you can actually get close. Miss those slots and you miss the sleeper sets that everyone's talking about on the Sunday.
Look After Your Body Like an Adult
This sounds boring. It isn't. Festivals are marathons, not sprints. Eat a real meal before you go in. Wear layers — especially at anything outdoors in winter. The Big Red Bash is in the outback in July; it will be cold at night and you will feel like an idiot if you didn't plan for it.
Drink water. Consistently. Not just when you remember. Your voice, your feet, and your future self will all thank you.
Pick One Artist You Know Nothing About
This is the rule. At every festival, deliberately walk into one set by someone you've never heard of. No phone research beforehand. Just show up and let it land. The Australian festival circuit has always been a discovery machine — it's the whole point.
Stay Off Your Phone During the Set
The best festival memories are the ones you actually experienced, not the ones you have shaky vertical video of.
Take one photo. Post it later. Then put the thing away and be somewhere for once.
Use the Quiet Moments
Between sets, resist the urge to fill every second. Sit down. Talk to strangers. Eat something. The connective tissue of a good festival experience is the stuff that happens between the stages.
Festival season 2026 is shaping up to be a big one. Get ready for it properly.
Discover what's on near you — from intimate pub gigs to major festivals — at musick.com.au.