This weekend, Wollongong’s Yours and Owls Festival will be returning for another year with undoubtedly its biggest line-up yet.
With the likes of Amy Shark, Courtney Barnett, Golden Features, and Hot Dub Time Machine leading the stacked line-up, this is shaping up to be one epic start to the festival season that’ll be difficult to top.
With Yours and Owls festival lingering just around the corner, it’s about time you get prepared. Here’s our extensive guide to getting the most out of this epic festival.
Set Times
When it comes to setting yourself up for the best possible festival experience, the set times are your best friend. 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.
Site Map
Now you know who you want to be seeing and where they’ll be playing, it’s a good idea to wrap your head around the site map to avoid getting lost on the day. It’s also wise to set up a meeting point with your friends so if you do get lost in the crowds you can always find your way back to one another.
How to Pay
Yours and Owls is a cashless festival so your wristband is your wallet. You’ll be given your free wristband at the gate and then you’ll just need to visit the top-up kiosk to load money onto it. If you don’t spend everything on your wristband you can either re-visit the top-up kiosk on your way out for your refund or claim your refund online here. If you do claim a refund online, though, you need to do it within 14 days of the festival.
Hydration
There are two key ingredients to keeping your energy levels up throughout a festival and I’m not talking about alcohol or drugs. The first is to stay hydrated. The second, I will get to in a moment.
There will be water top-up stations around the festival to keep your water bottles filled, as well as special guardian water angels running around bringing you gods gift of water wherever you turn.
There’s also gonna be some pretty high UV rays this weekend so don’t let the sun sap the moisture and life from your skin, and make sure you slip, slop, and slap to protect your body’s largest organ.
Menu
Now, the second key ingredient to non-stop energy all day is food. If you didn’t know this already, food is fuel, and fuel means energy, and energy means dancing. You’re welcome.
There will be over 20 different food and drink stalls to choose from, from mouthwatering Mediterranean street food to delicious dumplings, tantalizing tacos, and so much more. Check out the full food and drink line-up below.
Experiences
There will also be a whole range of unique on-site activities to ensure you get the most out of your festival experience. Head over to Octopus Gardens and quench your thirst at a Pirate themed cocktail bar and picnic area, enjoy the food market, take a chill and relax in the garden under the tentacles of the giant octopus.
Loosen the limbs and rediscover the inner child in Mother’s Ball Pit or check out leading men’s and women’s fashion store Edge Clothing, who will be providing a full range of festival pieces and accessories.
For all the footy fanatics out there that want to have their cake and eat it too, never fear, you’ll be able to step away from the music this weekend for a special screening of The Roosters taking on The Raiders for the 2019 NRL Premiership! Make your way to the Jeb Taylor Hotel for a big-screen showing of the game, with commentation by the Two Man Tackle DJs. The tunes and banter will kick off at 6:30 before the game starts at 7:30.
#PartyWithAPurpose
Last year, Yours and Owls implimented #PartyWithAPurpose, an initiative that aims to create more of a positive party experience. It starts with a whole bunch of eco-friendly measures put in place throughout the festival, such as eliminating single-use plastics, planting trees to offset the carbon footprint of the festival, and composting food waste, and stretches to some other important festival etiquette to ensure the safety of everyone at the festival. Check out the festival rules, and the #PartyWithAPurpose environmental initiatives below.
Afterparties
If you still want to keep the party alive once the music has stopped each night, Yours and Owls have you covered with a couple of official afterparties to keep you kicking on till the early morning. On Saturday, make your way over to Pepes for dance floor shenanigans from 10pm to 3am, and on Sunday, the kick ons will be held from 9pm to midnight at Hotel Illawarra. Stay tuned into the Yours and Owls socials for more afterparty info in the coming days.
Transport
The festival site is located at Stuart Park, Wollongong, nestled between the escarpment and the beach. Parking around the festival site is limited, so it’s definitely wise to consider catching public transport or hopping on board the festival shuttle bus. If you’re going by train, the closest train station is North Wollongong, with the last departing train to Sydney at 11:52pm, and the last departing train to Nowra at 1:12am. The shuttle bus will be running a continuous route to and from the festival site to various different stops in Wollongong, check out the shuttle bus map and timetable here.
Camping
Campsites are located in the grounds of Wollongong Surf Leisure Resort and campers have access to all amenities on offer at the campground including hot showers, spa and steam room, tennis courts, bike hire and WiFi. The campsites are conveniently located right next to the beach, and a short 15-minute stroll along the beach to the festival. The free festival shuttle buses also run to and from the campsites at 20-minute intervals.
Each camping ticket provides accommodation for one person on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, but you’ll need to bring your own tent, sleeping bag, pillow, and all the other camping necessities. Camping spaces are allocated upon arrival, so if you want to camp with friends, you’ll need to arrive together. Limited camping tickets are still available here.
Yours and Owls Festival 2019
October 5th and 6th – Stuart Park, Wollongong
Check out the full line-up and find out more information here.
Less than 300 tickets remaining here. Don’t miss out, it’s gonna be huge.
