Beyond The Valley, Pitch Music & Arts, and Ability Fest are just a few of the buzzy items on the Victorian music festivals calendar.
Victorian music festivals are known for their starry lineups and genre-spanning sets, with a festival calendar that welcomes music lovers of all stripes.
The Garden State has long been a hub for some of the country’s most promising musicians, so it stands to reason that it boasts a bustling event calendar and is somewhat of a nucleus for Australia’s buzziest festivals.
2024 alone has seen Victorians revel in the recent editions of festivals like Pitch Music and Arts and Golden Plains Festival, but there’s no signs of slowing down.
Below, we’re sifting through our choice picks for the best Victorian music festivals. Mark your calendars and dig in!
Beyond The Valley
Launching in 2014, Beyond The Valley has become an annual haven for party-goers across the country, thanks in large part to its stacked lineups and unmatched festival site of the Barunah Plains.
Tyler, The Creator, AJ Tracey, Stormzy, and Snakehips are among the artists who’ve taken to the BTV stage throughout its run. The multi-day festival typically takes place over the New Year period from December 28 to January 1. Find more information here.
Pitch Music & Arts
Victoria boasts perhaps the country’s biggest bush doof in the form of Pitch Music & Arts.
Every March, ravers head to Moyston to enjoy the world’s biggest dance music acts, with a lineup history that names the likes of DJ Boring, Four Tet, Overmono, Skin on Skin and CC: Disco.
The multi-day event is known for its innovative stages and arts showcases, and typically takes place annually in Grampian Plains in March. Find more information here.
Golden Plains Festival
Hosted in Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, Victoria’s Golden Plains has for 16 years delivered what some believe to be the country’s best festival.
The multi-day event, held in rural Victoria, has won multiple awards and welcomed the likes of King Stingray, Black Country, New Road, Confidence Man and The Internet. Golden Plains takes place in Meredith in March. Find more information here.
Meredith Festival
Victoria’s Meredith Music Festival explodes with music every December. Held on private farmland near Meredith township, this three-day party boasts a diverse lineup – rock, pop, hip hop, techno – all waiting to be discovered.
Beyond the music, the “Meredith Gift” nude race adds a quirky touch, while the Pink Flamingo Bar and Ecoplex Cinema offer refreshment and entertainment.
A festival unlike any other, Meredith promises a unique and unforgettable experience.
St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival
The beloved St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival held its first Melbourne edition in 2005 before expanding to a national touring circuit.
The one-dayer has hosted the likes of Billie Eilish, Dominic Fike, Lily Allen and countless more, all taking to the stage throughout its typical dates in February. Find more information here.
Falls Festival
Victoria finds its answer to NSW’s Lost Paradise with Falls Festival, a multi-day event taking place annually over the New Year period.
The beloved festival has sustained its 28-year run with stellar lineups and a killer location in the seaside town of Lorne.
It moved to inner-city Melbourne in 2022, and while it took a break last year, we’re hopeful Falls Festival will return to its full glory to ring in 2025. Find more information here
Queenscliff Music Festival
Held annually over the last weekend of November, Queenscliff Music Festival takes to Bellarine Peninsula for a showcase of live music, the best local produce and the stunning vistas of south Victoria.
Baker Boy, Kee’ahn, and Middle Kids are just some of the homegrown stars that have added to an already illustrious list of former lineup entrants. Find more information here.
Ability Fest
While it is a relatively young festival — with just four editions to its name so far — Melbourne’s Ability Fest has made a name for itself with its groundbreaking spirit of inclusivity.
It is the country’s first fully accessible music festival catering to people with a disability, and is the brainchild of Australian of the Year Winner, Dylan Alcott.
Hilltop Hoods, Sampa The Great, and Hot Dub Time Machine have all performed at Ability Fest, which is typically held in Melbourne’s inner-city park, Birrarung Marr. Find more information here.
Port Fairy Folk Festival
Representing folk music in the Victorian scene is Port Fairy Folk Festival, the four-day event held annually at the namesake fishing village.
The festival began way back in 1977, and has consistently delivered on some of the biggest folk acts from home and abroad.
The festival’s charming location and legacy status has sustained its decades-long run as a hot-ticket item. Find more information here.
Heaps Good
It’s only held one event so far, but it delivered a legendary lineup that’s sure to spawn more editions. Heaps Good, held at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, welcomed Flume, Foals, The Avalanches, MAY-A, and Declan McKenna for its debut edition last year.
Here’s hoping the New Year’s Eve event returns for more starry outings in the future. Find more information here.
Pandemonium Rocks
Rock music gets its time in the Victorian sun with Pandemonium Rocks, the mammoth one-dayer taking place at Caribbean Gardens in Scoresby, Melbourne.
Blondie, Alice Cooper, and Wheatus are among the rock legends who’ve taken to the Pandemonium stage. Find more information about the festival, which typically takes place in April, here.
