I attended the media launch at Universal Bar announcing the highly anticipated lineup of this year's Fairbridge Festival: an appreciation of world, folk & roots music in the heart of regional Western Australia.
2017 is a milestone year for Fairbridge Festival, as it celebrates its 25th year of music, creative arts, comedy, street theatre and dance in a uniquely Australian outback setting. This year the festival will be held over four days from April 21 - 24, featuring a specially handpicked lineup of over 150 local and international performances.
Here are some of my highlights from the launch and why Fairbridge Festival would be worth a visit this year.
For the music lovers...
Fairbridge Festival's Artistic Director Rod Vervest expressed his excitement over the increasing interest of a younger demographic to the festival, and it was easy to see why with the announcement of Jarlath Henderson on the 2017 lineup of artists. Hailing from the UK, Jarlath Henderson is the youngest ever winner of the BBC Young Folk Award. He sings, composes, produces contemporary folk music, and amazingly he also somehow finds the time to treat people as a physician! Catch him live on every day of the festival.
Another international act that should be sure to excite your ears are Oi Dipnoi from Sicily, Italy. This eclectic trio embody the traditional melodies of their region through a beautiful harmony of the diatonic accordion alongside a 'Nakaira' percussion and bass. I was completely drawn to their songs and will definitely not miss their act.
A special mention needs to be made for West Aussie local dance band Odette Mercy & Her Soul Atomics. As they were announced onto the lineup, I immediately found myself tapping my feet and nodding my head to the smooth crooning of Odette Mercy's voice and the incredibly catchy beat of the song.
This is only a taste of what Fairbridge Festival has to offer, to see the complete artist line up head to http://fairbridgefestival.com.au/wp/program/confirmed-acts/
For the whole family...
One of the standout qualities of Fairbridge Festival is it's incredibly family-friendly event program designed to create a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the entire family. Multi-award winning Perth musician Andrew Winton says "[Fairbridge Festival] is the only festival in Australia where you can take the whole family and feel completely safe, whether it be at midday or 11pm,".
The festival has a colossal lineup of Youth Workshops that includes everything from arts and craft, singing, songwriting, dance, and more. There is also a Children's Festival, with workshops designed to entertain kids of all ages, including a standout workshop called Kids in The Kitchen. Kids in The Kitchen allows little ones to get hands-on with healthy cooking whilst in nature's kitchen. Perfect for all the foodie babies out there.
Spots fill up quick, so my advice is that you arrive early to book your child(ren) in for a slot. For more information, see the Children's Festival program at http://fairbridgefestival.com.au/wp/program/children-festival/
For the foodies...
While Fairbridge Festival is clearly all about the music and arts, you can guarantee an array of local food trucks down near the Hoopla stage including international street foods, woodfire pizza, vegetarian food, smoothies and gelato. Another interesting workshop to schedule in from the Youth Workshops list is Good Food for Cool Dudes.
Good Food for Cool Dudes is a workshop held at the Clubhouse Kitchen where you can learn to cook some healthy recipes - the best part is, you get to eat it too!
To stay updated on the Youth Workshops program, check out http://fairbridgefestival.com.au/wp/program/youth-program/
For the adventurers...
And last but not least, one of the most interesting aspects of Fairbridge Festival is the incredibly tempting option of glamping to completely immerse one self into the completely alluring experience the festival offers. Held in the heart of Pinjarra's bush, a one hour's drive away from Perth, Fairbridge offers patrons a whole range of accomodation offers both onsite and off. Regular camping options are available... so what exactly is glamping?
Glamping, "glamorous camping", is the Ritz Carlton of camping. Think air-pumped beds, soft quilts, fresh towels and soap all under a funky canvas teepee. All glamping tickets include festival entry. It's perhaps the perfect way to enjoy the full four day schedule at Fairbridge, hassle free. After recently discovering glamping at Margaret River Gourmet Escape, I can definitely say that it is something every adventurer should tick off their bucket list.
For more information about glamping at Fairbridge Village in Pinjarra, see http://fairbridgefestival.com.au/wp/buy/glamping-on-the-oval/
