Festivals in February

Words by Ben Lamb

Dragon Boat Festival

Melbourne is an amazing melting pot for different cultures, with thousands of people from hundreds of different backgrounds heading to our shores and sharing their amazing stories, food, and customs with us. A celebration of culture is coming to Melbourne this February, this time celebrating all things Chinese. With 2023’s incarnation of the popular Dragon Boat Festival featuring food trucks, lion dancing and plenty more - you’re bound to find something up your alley.

The Dragon Boat is taking place at the Harbour Esplanade on Sunday, February 19.

Laneway

One of Australia’s most popular festivals is back and it’s coming in big. Laneway Festival will feature a selection of the best artists both in contemporary and indie scenes that traverse many different genres, including Haim, Phoebe Bridgers, Finneas, Fred Again, The Beths and plenty more. On top of that, there’ll be heaps of tasty food, drinks, and merch all available throughout what is set to be a glorious day.

Laneway Festival will take place at The Park in Flemington on Saturday, February 11.

St Kilda Festival

One of Melbourne’s oldest and most beloved festival staples is the St Kilda Festival, which hits the St Kilda foreshore each year. It’s a free event that showcases a selection of our most talented artists, such as Peptalk, Guthrie, Emma Volard, Hoodoo Gurus, Confidence Man, and many, many more. Of course, the fun doesn’t end there; you can also dive into food, market stalls, dancing, activations, and lots more.

The St Kilda Festival will take place in St Kilda on Saturday, February 18 until Sunday, February 19.

Down South Festival

Take a trip down south for Down South Festival this year. Currently in its second year, Down South Festival will take place in Port Fairy’s Star of The West Hotel. With last year’s show being headlined by the iconic Amyl and The Sniffers, this year’s festival is set to live up to that, featuring music from a selection of Victorian artists such as CIVIC, So.Crates, and Queenie, to name just a few.

Down South Festival will take place in Port Fairy’s Star of the West Hotel on Saturday, February 25 until Sunday, February 26.

National Sustainable Living Festival

This festival will dive into the sustainable living world and will do that by spreading the word about social and ecological sustainability. It also will reference current technological advancements in the world and explore the ways that sustainability can keep up.

The National Sustainable Living Festival will happen across Melbourne throughout the month of February.

Live At The Bowl

Melbourne Beerfest

Keen for a pint? Look no further than the Melbourne Beerfest, which is coming to the Catani Gardens in St Kilda this February. There’ll be tons to do; first, dive into delicious craft beer, wine, cider and cocktails, then learn more about beer with masterclasses and food pairing, and finally top it all off with live music and comedy from Luke McGregor, Alex Ward, Brett Blake, and Emma Holland. Cheers! Melbourne Beerfest will take over the Catani Gardens for the weekend of February 24 and 25.

Midsumma

Australia’s most well-known queer arts and culture festival is coming back to Melbourne this February, with many events that span plays, musicals, parties, drag, comedy and plenty more. An annual carnival that’s known for putting on shows of all different shapes and sizes over the years, its a festival run by queer communities, for queer communities. With heaps of free events and installations, you can explore what Midsumma has to offer on a budget.

Midsumma Festival will take place all throughout Melbourne until February 12.

Summertime always brings out the best in live music, festivals and showcases that feature an amazing selection of bands who want to spend the Australian summer on the live stage. Live at The Bowl is a collection of gigs that take place at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, with 2023’s incarnation including Darren Hayes, Kehlani, Lorde, Sorbaes, Teeny Tiny Stevies, Piknic Electronik, Share the Spirit and many more.

Live at the Bowl shows all go down at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl throughout February.

Fri 10 Feb

Laura Jean

Fri 17 Feb

Tim Rogers & Tex Perkins

Sat 18 Feb

The Chills + Parsnip

Wed 8 Mar

Sonya Lifschitz

Tue 14 Mar

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Wed 15 Mar

Nakhane

Thur 23 Mar

Monolake + Electric Indigo

January March 2023 melbournerecital.com.au

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