Falls Festival 2019/2020: Happy Mag's extensive guide

If you’ve never spent a New Year’s at Falls Festival, you’ve been missing out. It’s as simple as that. For over 25 years now, the festival have been delivering some of the biggest lineups and the best vibes on the Australian festival circuit.

It’s practically impossible to have a bad time at falls. Last year’s festival – headlined by Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Catfish and The Bottlemen, Vance Joy, and CHVRCHES – was absolutely huge, and this year is sure to be no different. Although it’s just over five months away, it’s never to early to start getting prepared. So we’ve compiled a complete guide to getting the most out of Falls Festival.

Falls Festival may be months away but it’s never too early to get prepared. Here’s our extensive guide to getting the most out of this epic festival.

Music

Arguably the most important part of every festival is, of course, the music. Falls Festival never fails to put on an epic line up and this year is no exception. While you definitely don’t want to miss headlining acts like Halsey, Disclosure and Vampire Weekend, there’s a stack of acts lower down on the bill that you should most definitely check out as well.

Falls Festival always put in the effort to stack their lineups with the finest international acts making the rounds, one of the standout international acts this year is Los Angeles based singer-songwriter BANKS. Fresh off the release of her third album III, the goddess of dark R&B is sure to put on a mesmerizing show. These will be her only Aus shows, so do yourself a favour and get around to that one if you can.

Elsewhere on the line up are Dope Lemon, Vera Blue and Thelma Plum. These standout Aussie acts are sure to deliver killer sets, each bringing their effortlessly cool demeanours and incredible vocal performances to the stage. If you like getting a little sweaty and animalistic, then there are heaps of epic acts for you too. Sydney local legends Amyl & The sniffers will bring utter carnage with their untamable pub-rock sounds, while Perth rockers Psychedelic Porn Crumpets are sure to put on an incredibly wild show.

It’s hard to narrow down the line-up into just a few acts cause there are just too many. No matter what tickles your fancy, there are a stack of artists that’ll make this weekend one to remember (if you can).

Accommodation

For those of you that are travelling to the festival, you’ll need to have a place to crash. If you’re planning on staying offsite, it’s a good idea to book your accommodation ahead of time, as properties close to Falls Festival locations tend to be booked out months before the festival. If you want to get that full festival experience and stay on the campgrounds, make sure you purchase a camping pass via the festival website, as camping is no longer included in the ticket price.

Don’t feel like slumming it with the rest of us plebs but still want to stay onsite? That’s all good cause there’s plenty of glamping packages available on the festival site as well. If you can’t afford the luxurious glamping lifestyle but you still don’t want to set up a tent, then there’s also the option to rent a tent, which is a much more affordable option.

Transport

Now you’ve figured out where you’ll be resting your head at night, you’ll need to sort out a way to get there. If you’re planning on driving to Falls, please drive carefully and share driving responsibilities with your mates. If it’s a long drive, make sure you’re taking plenty of rest stops, and potentially even consider booking somewhere to stay halfway to break up the drive over two days. You can never be too careful, friends.

There’s plenty of maps and location directions on the festival website to help you get to the site without getting completely lost, so make sure you check those out too. If you’re not driving, the festival is running regular shuttle buses to and from the festival and various different nearby towns, there’s a full timetable online so you know where you need to be and when to jump on a bus.

Planning

Aside from the obvious planning like writing a packing list and remembering to bring your damn sunscreen, it’s also a good idea to make a rough plan of the artists you’re gonna want to see. Print out the set times and highlight the artists you want to see each day and then make a daily plan of where you want to be and when.

There will be clashes, no doubt, and it’s not likely you’ll actually make it to every set you highlight, but your best bet is to be across all the artists you want to see and when you can see them. Set yourself up with an itinerary and don’t miss out on your favourite acts.

The App

If good old fashioned pen and paper isn’t for you then the app is your best friend. You can go through the line-up on your Falls Festival app and pick each artist you want to see, and the app will then arrange them all into a tidy schedule for your convenience. You can also set up reminders before the acts start to give you a little boost to get up from your camp chair.

The app also has site maps to help you find your way around, and a whole bunch of other important information to help your festival experience be the best it can be.

Food and Drink

The people of Falls Fest don’t just provide us with a killer line-up of musicians, they also always provide a killer line-up of food trucks. There will be no shortage of delicious food stalls to delight your tastebuds, and more than a handful of bars to get some refreshments to wet your whistle. If you’re on a budget, it’s a-ok for you to bring your own food to keep at camp. What you’re not allowed to bring is your own alcohol, so leave that at home if you don’t want trouble at the gates.

The General Store

No matter how much you prepare, it’s highly likely you’ll forget to bring something important. This is why every year the festival set up a general store where you can purchase all the little necessities, like toothpaste and tent accessories, so you have a comfortable, clean, and enjoyable festival experience.