Airlie Beach Festival of Music is the festival that takes over an entire town, attracting punters from all over the nation. With its home right on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, the 3-day party in paradise is back once again for its 12th year from November 8 – 10.
Airlie Beach Festival of Music is a unique festival experience hosted in one of the most sought-after destinations, The Whitsundays. With the music spread throughout multiple venues across the town, the atmosphere is electric. Everything is easy to get to and fully equipped – no need to bring camping chairs. The festival hosts a variety of both big name acts and new talent waiting to be discovered – there is truly something for every musical taste.
The first major lineup announcement is one of the festival’s best to date, including a stack of household names with Sweet (UK), Pseudo Echo, Jebediah, Thirsty Merc, Christine Anu, Ash Grunwald, 19 Twenty & Bondi Cigars all set to take the main stage plus many more throughout the town.
All the way from the UK, Glam Rock legends Sweet will be bringing classic tunes like “Fox On The Run” & “Ballroom Blitz” all the way to the north QLD Tropics for the very first time. Fusing bubblegum melodies with crunching, fuzzy guitars, the band’s festival appearance is set to be their first time in Australian in a decade.
The band are absolutely pumped to be coming, saying “We can’t wait to play The Airlie Beach Music Festival, It’s going to be the highlight of our Australian Tour!“
Also topping the bill for the first announcement is New-Wave icons Pseudo Echo. Formed from a couple of Melbourne high school mates in 1982, The Australian 4-piece went on to become one of the pioneering bands of the 80’s in Australia. Best known for their international #1 smash hit “Funky Town”, Pseudo Echo revolutionised the music landscape with their avante-garde style and hits like “Listening”, “A Beat For You”, “Don’t Go”, “Living In A Dream” and “Love And Adventure”.
It was almost 23 years ago that Jebediah first shambled on stage in their shorts, sneakers, blue hair, dimples, grins and smirks and started bouncing off the walls with their roaring riffs and soaring pop hooks, tearing the lid off the Big Day Out and the Hottest 100overnight. 23 years, six albums and piles of awards and acclaim later, the Jebs continue to captivate their devout fan base with their infectious energy and enthusiasm.
Jedediah front-man Kevin Mitchell says, “We can’t wait for some sand, sun and fruity seltzers at the Airlie Beach Festival! It will be our first time plus we’ll be bringing a brand new album of tunes to play! See you there!“
Thirsty Merc are unquestionably one of Australia’s finest live acts, having released 4 critically acclaimed albums, over 250,000 album sales under their belt, a finalist in the APRA Song of the Year for “20 Good Reasons” (which also reached #1 on iTunes in Australia), 5 ARIA Award nominations, Thirsty Merc have found their way into the fabric of Australia’s musical landscape.
Christine Anu is one of Australia’s most popular recording artists and performers of all time who uses her voice and reputation to spread a message of unity and hope. With 17 ARIA nominations, including the APRA AMCOS award-winning “My Island Home” and her platinum album Stylin’ Up, she has one of the country’s most enduring and recognisable voices.
Speaking on coming to back to region for her first time in 12 years, Christine says, “Since getting to play at Airlie Beach back in 2012, I’ve been itching to come back for a chance to play in paradise. The Whitsundays region is such a beautiful part of the country, and I cannot wait to come and play for you all at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music this year!“
Also featured in the first announcement in 2024 will be Australian blues mainstays Ash Grunwald & Bondi Cigars alongside the high-energy sonic party that is 19 Twenty.
The first lineup announcement comes with the news that after years of growth and success, the annual Passport to Airlie finals will be held on Friday this year. The competition will take place during the day and lead into the first night, with last year’s winners Avalanche returning to perform, followed by Thirsty Merc & then Jebediah will be closing the Friday night out.
Avalanche front-man Steve Campbell says, “We are keen as hell to rock out at Airlie Beach FOM again this year! We had some of the best times of our lives at last year’s festival, winning Passport to Airlie, hanging in the VIP tent, watching all the amazing bands! It was an absolutely massive weekend and we can’t wait to do it all again and see some old faces and new faces join the party with us this year!“
Festival tickets are on sale now, with 1st release 3-day tickets going for $310 and limited VIP tickets going for $1000.
This 3-day festival in paradise draws thousands from Australia-wide and accommodation is bound to sell out so book now. From 5-star resorts to budget-friendly backpackers to camping at beautiful caravan parks, Airlie Beach has an accommodation option for everyone. Free buses running to and from the festival are included in the ticket price and get everyone home safely.
