If the last few years taught us anything, it's that human connection is everything. It seems there's no better cure for the lockdown blues than to get into a dense crowd of fellow music lovers and dance the night/day/weekend away.
After a two or so year hiatus, music festivals are back with a vengeance in 2023. We've already seen some epic events take place such as Falls, Laneway and Golden Plains. But there's still more to come, with 2023 shaping up to be the biggest and best year of live music in recent memory.
With no further ado, here's our list of big time festivals happening around the country throughout 2023 and early 2024.
Not sure what to bring to a multiday festival like Splendour In The Grass? Check out our list of festival essentials here, as well as the best budget music ear plugs to keep your ears safe while you're there.
April
- Bluesfest - Byron Bay, New South Wales
- Groovin the Moo - Wayville, Maitland, Canberra, Bendigo, Townsville, Bunbury
- The Drop Festival - Busselton, Margaret River, Coolangatta, Torquay, Noosa, Manly, Newcastle
- Rabbits Eat Lettuce Festival - Warwick, Queensland
- Inner Varnika - Bookar, Victoria
May to June
- Vivid Sydney - Sydney, New South Wales
June
- Dark Mofo - Hobart, Tasmania
July
- Splendour in the Grass - Byron Bay, New South Wales
August
- Melbourne International Jazz Festival - Melbourne, Victoria
September to October
- Listen Out - Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney
- Brisbane Festival - Brisbane, Queensland
November
- Queenscliff Music Festival - Queenscliff, Victoria
- Strawberry Fields - Tocumwal, New South Wales
December
- Wide Open Space Festival - Alice Springs, Northern Territory
- Beyond the Valley - Lardner, Victoria
- Pitch Music Festival - Mafeking, Victoria
- Meredith Music Festival - Meredith, Victoria
- Falls Festival - Lorne, Marion Bay, Byron Bay, Fremantle
- Lost Paradise Festival - Glenworth Valley, New South Wales
2024
Not all these are confirmed yet, but going off last year these are likely to occur again in 2024:
January
- Let Them Eat Cake - Werribee, Victoria
- Lost Paradise Festival - Glenworth Valley, New South Wales
- Rainbow Serpent Festival - Lexton, Victoria
- Tamworth Country Music Festival - Tamworth, New South Wales
- Mona Foma - Launceston, Tasmania
February
- Laneway Festival - Adelaide, Brisbane, Fremantle, Melbourne, Sydney
- Perth Festival - Perth, Western Australia
- Festival X - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
March
- WOMADelaide - Adelaide, South Australia
- Ultra Music Festival - Sydney, New South Wales
- Future Music Festival - Sydney, New South Wales
- Golden Plains - Meredith, Victoria
- Pitch Music Festival - Mafeking, Victoria
- Port Fairy Folk Festival - Port Fairy, Victoria