The inaugural Ability Fest, which took over the weekend, by all reports was a massive success.
Spearheaded by triple j presenter and Paralympian Dylan Alcott, the music festival sold over 5,000 tickets and raised almost $200k for the Dylan Alcott Foundation, a charity helping young Australians with disabilities.
They’ve already started talking about the next edition too, with plans to make it even bigger in 2019.
The inaugural Ability Fest took place over the weekend, raising almost $200k for kids with disabilities. And they’ve already announced plans for next year!
Taking over the Coburg Velodrome on Saturday, the day was headlined by Flight Facilities and Client Liaison, with performances from Japanese Wallpaper, Jack River, Dro Carey and heaps more. Alcott said it was “one of the best days” of his life.
“Nobody cared about their race, gender, sexual orientation, and most importantly, their disability,” he told triple j’s Ben and Liam this morning. “I had so many people with disabilities come up [to me] and it was the first time they’d ever been to a festival with their family and friends, in tears, saying thank you.”
“I keep bloody tearing up thinking about it because it was one of the most special days I was involved in,” he said.
The festival was promoted by Untitled Group, who is responsible for festivals such as Beyond The Valley and Pitch.
“I’m very grateful to Dylan for giving us the opportunity to work with him to fulfil the dream of his to create an inclusive music festival and to work with him to help normalize disability and Ability Fest will be back in 2019 even bigger than this year’s first event,” Untitled Group co-director, Nick Greco, told triple j.
“Saturday was such an important step forward in pushing for an all-inclusive society, from the moment the gates opened you could sense the positivity in all directions, from the patrons to the artists, to the suppliers, it was great to be a part of.”
Be sure to check out the Dylan Alcott Foundation via their website.
