FFO: Various music categories; live concerts; outdoor festivals

Held on the second Sunday in February, along with stilt walkers, notorious Giant Seagulls and roving Ballistix Drummers, the Dancezone will serve up performances, lessons and demos, all during the annual St Kilda Festival. Billed as Australia’s largest free music event, the St Kilda celebration surely is a much needed late summer respite from the weight of the country’s tragic fires. With several stages and more than 60 acts, music is easily the message driving St Kilda.

Besides the workshops, carnival rides, community-focused activities and naturally, the food, attendees can take in just about any type of music at the St Kilda Festival. This year, held on Sun., Feb. 9, 2020, in addition to the Main Stage, with individual concert venues like the O’Donnell Gardens Stage, New Music Stage and Fitzroy Street Stage, among others, a diversity of songs will fill the air. The Kilda concert lineup reads like a cornucopia of musicians and bands. For instance, melodic blues popsters can indulge in the duo Busby Marou, while electro fans enjoy the trappings of The Kite String Tangle. How about some beatbox with Mal Webb and Kylie Morrigan? But that merely is a taste. Headlining the festival is traveling mega DJ, Hot Dub Time Machine.

Down under, St Kilda is a major music and arts event much in the tradition of Coachella, SXSW and Summerfest, typically drawing over 400,000 fun-seeking enthusiasts. Honoring the 40th anniversary of St Kilda, festival goers are invited to wear 1980s clothing at the event’s official dance party. The revelry has something for everyone, including a songwriting collective. No wonder all ages are encouraged to join. The beautiful Port Philip Bay and temperate oceanic climate make a perfect match for such a large outdoor occasion. Perhaps best of all, no tickets are required.

Submissions to perform at the 2021 festival open in August 2020. Note that buskers require a permit.

Photos: Nathan Doran

For more information please visit stkildafestival.com.au

Artists to perform at the St Kilda Festival 2020:

Port Royal

Yogabean

Kylie Auldist

Mexican Music Man

Cash Savage and The Last Drinks

Uptown Brown

Busby Marou

Mal Webb & Kylie Morrigan

Stonefield

Indigenous Hip Hop Project

The Kite String Tangle

Pirritu

Bumpy

Hot Dub Time Machine

The Haploids

The Rebelles

DRMNGNOW

Yergurl

Ballistix Drummers

Jade Imagine

Ebony Boadu

Tia Gostelow

Rhythm Unites

Press Club

Recycled Crowns

Remi

Freya Josephine Hollick

Gordon Koang

Amaru Tribe

Birdz

Middle East

Horns of Leroy featuring Thando

Rebel Stepz

The Black Sorrows

Mama Kin Spender

Face Face

Juno Disco

Mikhaell

The Hunter Express

Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice

Hannah Kate

Messy Mammals

Bad Bangs

Francesca Gonzales

RAT!hammock

Zoë Fox & The Rocket Clocks

Delsinki

Kee’ ahn

Teenage Dads

Emilee South

Iaki Vallejo

Huntly

Creature Fear

Dallas Woods

Ships Piano

Surf Trash

Alice Skye

Merpire

Pookie

Boler Mani

Vince The Kid

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Paul Wolfle, the publisher of musicinterviewmagazine.com, is a web-based journalist who has written for several popular sites. Paul has a passion for connecting with a diversity of musicians who are looking to grow a positive presence on the World Wide Web.