Taking place next month, it’s almost time to jump in the Kombi and make our way to Vanfest 2019. A killer event that’s had music fans trekking out to Forbes for five years now, it’s been a personal highlight of the festival calendar since day dot.
They’ve always been known for bringing out some of the world’s best artists as well as being spot-on when picking their up-and-comers, and this year is no exception. Yet, a festival hardly starts and ends at the lineup.
Read on as we share five reasons we’re heading to Vanfest once again this year.
A big lineup, a perfect location and much, much more: here are 5 reasons we’ve scored ourselves tickets to Vanfest 2019.
The lineup: big dogs
The top of Vanfest’s 2019 lineup is absolutely something to call home about. On the Aussie front you’ve got PNAU and Golden Features hitting the stage, both contemporary dance music icons in their own right. If you’ve never lost your marbles dancing to Chameleon or Wild Strawberries, you haven’t lived.
On top of this, expect Kiwi pop legends Broods, the unstoppable 16-year-old starboy Ruel, and local surf punk princes Skegss. It’s going to be wild.
Cash-free
For the first time ever, Vanfest is going cash free in 2019. What this means, if you haven’t experienced it before, is that your festival wristband will come packed with a microchip that you load cash onto. Once you’ve put a fews dollars on the chip, that’s what you’ll be using to buy food, drinks, merch and whatever else you need.
I had my first taste of a cashless fest back at Lost Paradise in 2016, and boy it was an eye opener. You’re not running the risk of taking any money or your bank card out to the festival, wait times are shorter, and generally it just feels neat. Every big event should be doing this, and Vanfest are ahead of the curve.
A spot for everybody
Whether you’re slumming to the festival in a shitbox that barely cleared your last rego (not recommended), or kicking your feet up for a glamorous weekend outing, Vanfest has a camping option for you.
You can camp straight-up under the stars, beside your vehicle, in a pre-pitched tent, or even go glamping if you’re celebrating a juicy raise and want to splash out. And of course, you can choose to find accomodation in Forbes or the nearby Parkes – take some time to see the local sites while you’re there!
The lineup: up-and-comers
It would be silly to mention Vanfest without putting a magnifying glass to the up-and-coming artists they’ve booked. Further down the poster on previous years, Vanfest has hosted names such as Allday, Dean Lewis, Xavier Rudd, and a ton of others who have gone on to great things.
So before you head along, take a moment to listen to WAAX’s most recent single FU (currently the #1 song played on triple j), Eves Karydas’ stunning debut album summerskin, or any of Willaris. K’s crowd-spinning jams. These legends, and more, will be names you’ll want to remember.
Road trippin’
Any festival outside the city is not only something worth supporting, but a chance to get yourself out of the big smoke for real. While you’re taking in the fresh air around Forbes, consider checking out the local landmarks, or even using Vanfest as a springboard for that road trip you know you’ve been craving.
Vanfest have always made a point of encouraging a trip out of the city for their event, and it’s advice you should take. Organise a few stops on the way up and make the festival your end goal, or plan a few days of R&R on the way home. You deserve it, friend.
Vanfest takes place in Forbes, NSW on May 10th and 11th, 2019. Grab your tickets here.
Lineup
Broods
Eves Karydas
Example
Golden Features
Mallrat
Methyl Ethel
Nyxen
PNAU
Ruel
Skegss
Thundamentals
WAAX
Willaris. K
Wilsonn
