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Rumours, reunions and no rain! Why we wish we were still at Splendour in the Grass 2017

Splendour in the Grass 2017 was filled with glitter, reunions of old friendships, the creation of new ones, confetti, and despite the chilled conditions, a whole lot of sunshine.

Stepping inside Splendour in the Grass is like entering a new world, one where like-minded people gather to celebrate diversity, culture, and all things creative.

Early acts including Winston Surfshirt and Mallrat pulled huge number to the Mix-Up Tent. They both had incredibly energetic crowds too, which was surprising considering how early in the day they played.

Around every corner was something weird and wonderful, sometimes just weird though (maybe stick to the main paths). While the whole weekend was memorable, I do have a few highlights.

I found a break in-between sets to pace back to my campsite and grab a jumper before the temperature dropped to the icy conditions that spread across the festival grounds. I check my phone to see a message “apparently Powderfinger are coming on at 5:30”.

Whether or not it was a rumour, I had to be there to see for myself. I doubt I could forgive myself if I didn’t head straight to the amphitheatre.

I’m glad I did. Standing on the hill, I watched over Bernard Fanning as he talked about the last time Powderfinger played together as a band. He continued to play, and I almost lost hope, but then his old band members drifted onto the stage as the crowd erupted. What a moment. I feel terribly sorry for you if you were at Splendour and missed it.

What were you doing the moment Powderfinger reunited on stage? I hope for your sake that you weren’t stuck inside a portaloo.

Father John Misty’s performance was understated, playing to a spacious tent hosting dedicated fans. Whether or not you get him, his theatrical performance turned heads. An older man in the crowd turned to my friend and I, saying “you know the words?!”, genuinely shocked.

“I didn’t think anyone knew who he was.”

If you’re going for the first time, I urge you to explore every element the festival has to offer. They have something on for everyone’s tastes. A rather empty space in the set times on Sunday morning meant that I had time to visit the craft tent (aka heaven) and make some earrings and attack my sunglasses with gems and a hot glue gun.

When I was happy with my creations, I drifted to the Forum where Tom Gleeson hosted a Q&A with Richard Di Natale.

The tent was full, with members of the crowd asking important, thought-out questions. It’s incredible that the organisers of Splendour give festival goers this opportunity. How often do you get to ask politicians tough questions in front of a crowd? Plenty of people took advantage of this rare opportunity.

HAIM were incredibly vocal regarding how much they appreciate their fans and the opportunity to play in Australia. I’ll never grow tired of watching Este’s bass face, plus this was my first time seeing them live.

To draw the festival to a close, LCD Soundsystem played in front of a timer counting down the two hours they played to an amphitheatre that wasn’t quite full. The following morning, I overheard an abundance of campers talking about King Gizzard’s set, which was on at the same time, so that explains the empty patches of grass.

Finishing the night with All My Friends seemed fitting as after two hours of watching together, the crowd in the amphitheatre felt like one big Splendour family.

Apart from my tent becoming the ice castle from Frozen, Splendour was an impressive festival filled with surprises and what seemed like limitless corners to explore. If only we could all live inside Splendour In The Grass.