12 of the Best Music Festivals in Australia We're Eyeing Off
Ready the glitter and dust off your dancing shoes, these are the best music festivals in Australia you won't want to miss out on.
Summer is finally here and that can only mean one thing: festival season is back baby! Promising a smorgasbord of hedonistic delights, this year’s delicious music line-up of festivals happening around the country is guaranteed to have you hooked.
From Aussie big shots to boutique wonders and emerging artists, we’ve whittled down the best festivals of the season in each state to add to your 2024 calendar.
So, festival queens everywhere, get ready to pile on the feathers, slap on the glitter and sip seltzers well into the night: these are the best music festivals in Australia you won’t want to miss out on.
Best Music Festivals Australia: Victoria
Golden Plains Festival
A galaxy, far, far at home... that's Golden Plains Festival, returning for its extra special 'Sweet 16th' year to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, for a panoramic long weekend in a purpose-built wonderland. Excpect.a few surprised this year to ring in 16 years of Victoria's best bush doof.
It’s one of the best places to spend time with friends and lovers – and yourself – exploring inner and outer space – and it's mega-starry musical smorgasbord! From King Stingray and Split System to Wednesday and Regurgitator, the varied acts will ensure you drift from hazy afternoons into electric evenings.
9th - 11th March 2024
Buy your ticket here.
Meredith, Victoria
Laneway Festival
The iconic nationwide (+NZ) Laneway Festival is back yet again... and we couldn't be more excited about it hitting Melbourne! The festival’s 2024 edition will be touring the country and for Melbournians wanting to get in on the action - The Park at Flemington is where you need to be.
Headlining this year? Oh you know, just Stormzy, Steve Lacy and Confidence Man if you don't mind!
Laneway will also hit up Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney throug early Feb - so tell your interstate mates to get in on the action.
Melbourne: February 10th 2024
Book tickets and find out more here
Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney & Perth
Best Music Festivals Australia: NSW
Splendour in the Grass
Splendour in the Grass has been taking over the North Byron Parklands for a huge weekend of live music, entertainment and art since 2001, and its set to return bigger and better than ever in 2024.
We're yet to catch a glimpse of the highly-anticipated lineup, but best believe we've signed up to be the first to know.
Previous years have seen the likes of James Blake, Flight Facilities, MGMT, PNAU and Kendrick Lamar take the main stage - so the bar is set pretty high, but as one of the best music festivals in Australia we have a feeling we won't be disappointed.
Oh, and if history tells us anything - it's that you may want to pack a pair of gumboots and a poncho for this one.
Sign up for the lineup and tickets here.
July 19th - 21st 2024
North Byron Parklands, NSW
Bluesfest Byron Bay
Each year music lovers of all ages gather in Tyagarah Tea Farm’s stunning Byron surrounds, to hear the reverberating pulse of blues, roots, country, pop, reggae, folk, hip-hop and jazz at the iconic Bluesfest.
A long list of musical greats have graced the stage over the years – think Bob Dylan, James Brown, Robert Plant, Iggy Pop, Led Zeppelin – and this year is no exception with The Pierce Brothers, Ziggy Alberts, Dan Sultan, Jack Johnson, Tom Jones and Matt Corby all set to take to the stage.
Laid-back, family-friendly with a side serving of fun, this annual Blues-a-thon is a guaranteed must for any festival goer.
28th March - 1st April 2024
Tickets vary in price, purchase here
Tyagarah Tea Farm, Byron Bay, NSW
Best Music Festivals Australia: South Australia
WOMADelaide
Adelaide’s iconic open-air festival is back for its 32nd year, and the award-winning cultural arts celebration promises to be a big one.
The World’s Festival, WOMADelaide has been a truly unique part of the Australian music festival landscape, as it showcases the best, most essential – and the most surprising – elements of music, arts, dance and ideas from around the world.
Spread across 34 hectares of the picturesque Botanic Park, more than 100 performers are set to perform across seven stages. Confirmed are Ziggy Marley, Yussef Dayes and Elle Shimada, just to name a few.
8th - 11th March 2024
Tickets vary in price, purchase here
Adelaide, South Australia
Red Hot Summer Tour
Coming in hot to Seppeltsfield in the famed Barossa Valley in 2024, this year's Series 3 of the Red Hot Summer Tour is sizzling. Following on from Series 1 & 2 successful tours with Jimmy Barnes and Kasey Chambers, this is regarded as one of the best music festivals in Australia for those who like something a little more... laidback.
The Series 3 lineup speaks for itself - we're talking The Angels, Suzi Quatro, Cheap Trick and The Screaming Jets - and when you add in the stunning surroundings of South Australia's most well-known wine region and prime March weather, you've got yourself an unbeatable recipe for a brilliant day out amongst the vineyards.
Buy your tickets here.
Seppeltsfield Wines, Seppeltsfield, South Australia
Best Music Festivals Australia: Queensland
Groovin' The Moo
Another festival with a national tour, if we had to take our pick of where to catch the fun of Triple J's Groovin' The Moo - it would be the Sunny Coast.
From late April to early May, this annual Australian music festival will make its way to regional towns and bring with it nothing but dancing tunes and an epic weekend with the crew.
While the official lineup for 2024 is yet to be released, we have pretty high hopes, with 2023's lineup hosting big names Ocean Alley, Fat Boy Slim, alt-J, Amy Shark and Ball Park Music. No biggie!
25th April - 11th May 2024
Be the first to hear about the lineup and buy your tickets here.
Sunshine Coast, Bendigo, Wayville, Bunbury, Canberra & Newcastle
CMC Rocks
Howdy ma’am, it’s time to pull on your boots and get ready for Australia’s biggest country music festival. The country music scene is a touch underserved when it comes to live music, so CMC in Queensland is one of the best music festivals in Australia to see multiple major country acts all in one location.
Welcoming over thirty acts from huge international headliners to local legends like Troy Cassar-Daley in years past, this festival is not to be missed by any country music fan with Tyler Hubbard, Chris Young and Lainey Wilson locked in for 2024.
Friday 15th March to Sunday 17th March 2024
Willowbank Raceway, 38 Champions Way, Willowbank
Best Music Festivals Australia: Western Australia
Good Day Sunshine
What do you get when you combine the enviable year-long sunny weather in WA, a world-famous wine region and a lineup of beloved musicians and artists?
Good Day Sunshine Fest, of course.
This one-day event is packing quite the punch, with The Cat Empire and John Butler Trio leading the stellar lineup. As if that wasn't already good enough, they'll be joined by The Bamboos, Caravana Sun and Tijuana Cartel at 3 Oceans Winery for a day out that embodies everything we love about music festivals in Australia: great music, stunning scenery, and a carefree day with mates.
6th April 2024
Buy your tickets here.
3 Oceans Winery, Margaret River, Western Australia
Electric Island
Are the fast-paced beats, spicy drops and deep bass punches of house music more your thing? Electric Island at Cottesloe Beach may be right up your music festival alley.
A day of high-intensity and electrifying DJ sets awaits, with Armand Van Helden, Sasha, Franky Wah, Kristen Knight and Roger Sanchez set to turn the popular Perth beach into an epic day party. Just make sure to wear your dancing shoes.
It's been three years since the last festival, so we have a feeling this one is going to come back with a bang!
7th April 2024 (Labour Day long weekend)
Buy your ticket here.
Cottesloe Beach, Western Australia
Best Music Festivals Australia: Northern Territory
BASSINTHEGRASS
The largest music festival in the Northern Territory, BASSINTHEGRASS has been tearing it up since 2003, and this year's lineup is absolutely bangin'.
Dance and be mellow to the tunes of Macklemore, Bag Raiders, Jet, Bliss N Eso, What So Not, The Jungle Giants and Young Franco; plus, with the dry season weather at its best, we're happy to report that this festival will require no gumboots!
There's a sunset beach disco to enjoy, as well as a chance to shop and eat your way through the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets.
So go on, soak up the tropical festival vibes and party it up at one of the best musical festivals in Australia's Top End.
18th May 2024
Tickets from $120, purchase here
Mindil Beach, Darwin
Best Music Festivals Australia: Tasmania
Party in the Paddock
Just because it's one of our smallest state doesn't mean the people of Tassie don't deserve their very own pumping music festival.
Party in the Paddock is Tasmania's answer to Australian music festivals, with this 3-day event taking over Quercus Park, less than half an hours drive from Launceston.
The lineup? Glad you asked. If the names San Cisco, Tash Sultana, Milky Chance, G Flip, Lime Cordiale, Hayden James, Chris Lorenzo and Rudimental mean anything to you - this music festival is one you cannot miss.
It's 3 days packed with music, entertainment, food trucks, camping with friends and laidback country vibes - sign us up!
8th - 12th February, 2024
Buy your tickets here.
Quercus Park, Carrick, Tasmania
Looking for more summer inspiration once you've hit up some of the best music festivals in Australia? Why not check out the recently launched Sitchu Tasmania page, or plan a trip to stay in one of Australia's coolest motels?
