Grab a sun hat and some good friends or loved ones and leave your troubles behind! The
Queenscliff Music Festival on the last weekend in November is the place to really unwind in what I believe is the prettiest town on the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula, about an hour from Melbourne.
This iconic festival attracts a gentle, peace-loving crowd of music lovers every year. It is one of my favourite things to do at a gorgeous time of year. The weather's warming, the artists chosen to keep us happy and humming hit the right note, and the town itself is divine. I tend to float through these couple of days in bliss.
Anyhow, enough about me. This year's festival features, as usual, a stunning line-up of
artists, including The Original Wailers, all the way from jumpin' Jamaica and featuring three of the original artists who played alongside the legendary Bob Marley in his band. I've seen them before. Their rhythmic reggae has the crowd bopping and cruising.
Other big names include Marcia Hines, Tim Finn, Dan Sultan and a very long list of mostly Australian artists and a few from overseas. I'm looking forward too to the Rolling Stones tribute. "I can't get no-oo …" I can really though. Life's grand!
One of the things I love most about the festival is how you discover and enjoy incredible talent while you float from one glorious venue to another. Think super gorgeous cafes, the stunning Atrium (with cafe), and glorious churches/restaurants with stained glass windows (The Apostle).
Then there are the great pubs, along with the iconic, elegant venues like the Vue Grand and its gorgeous ballroom. Even the Blues Train will be rockin' along Swan Bay, and there's the main festival precinct by the beach too.
It's a good idea too though to peruse the
program, make a plan and organise yourself to see your artists of interest. Otherwise, you can run round catching the end of everything.
There's good food to share as well as a very cool market running the length of the main street. This year, a festival first, sees
yoga workshops taking place on Saturday and Sunday! Yoo hoo. I'll be there with yoga mat in tow. You can't get much more chilled than that.
Anyone can go along the main street and enjoy the market, plenty of good free music, and great atmosphere. You need tickets, however, for the ticketed events (obviously) and to get into the main festival precinct.
Tickets cost: Saturday & Sunday: $146.85; Saturday: $100.85; Sunday $69.85 - all plus Booking Fee.
If a ticket's going to stretch the budget, go anyway. There is loads to see, do and enjoy in this gorgeous town over the merry, musical weekend.
