Laneway Festival 2024: big things grow as Stormzy, Raye, Dominic Fike draw record crowds
Within the live music sector, one of the purest living illustrations of ‘from little things, big things grow’ is Laneway Festival, which is now among the nation’s biggest travelling music events.
Within the Australian live music sector, one of the purest illustrations of the adage ‘from little things, big things grow’ is Laneway Festival.
From its humble beginnings in 2005 – when it began as a Melbourne-only event called St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival before about 1400 people – it is now among the nation’s biggest travelling music events.
Accordingly, the back alleys and laneways to accommodate small crowds of yore have long since been replaced by sprawling sites in parks and showgrounds, wherein three to five stages operate concurrently.
Laneway Festival has this year sold more tickets than in any prior year, thanks to its multi-genre bookings policy hitting a bullseye with a mix of established and breaking artists.
According to co-founder Danny Rogers, total ticket sales are tracking at about 125,000 across six shows; during its 19-year history, it has shifted 1.5 million tickets overall.
After attracting about 45,000 people to its first two events in Brisbane and Sydney last weekend – followed by a quick trip to Auckland on Tuesday, for about 24,000 – Laneway Festival concludes this weekend with consecutive concerts in Adelaide (Friday), Melbourne (Saturday) and Perth (Sunday).
This year, major crowd-pullers on the line-up include headlining British hip-hop artist Stormzy (aged 30), British R&B/pop performer Raye (26), and US singer/rapper Dominic Fike (28).
“I feel like [booking] Stormzy is one of the biggest statements we’ve ever made as a festival,” said Rogers. “With the pyro, the energy and the production that they put into the show, it does really feel like we’ve taken a step up.”
Of Raye, aka Rachel Keen, said Rogers: “She’s a superstar rising. Her parents are her managers, and I said to her father, ‘I don’t think there’s been a female vocalist that’s blown me away, and felt so next-level, since Florence [Welch] played in 2009.’ She’s a lovely person, too: she’s so humble, and just can’t believe what’s happening.”
In 2021, Rogers and fellow co-founder Jerome Borazio entered into a partnership with ticketing and events company TEG; the pair retained a substantial ownership interest and continued to run operations, while TEG provides financial, legal and insurance support behind the scenes.
“Jerome and I are still partners, and really good friends, and we often look at each other and start giggling, going, ‘This is kind of crazy and hilarious’,” said Rogers. “We started out with literally no idea what we were doing. We didn’t really have a road map or a business plan; we just had an idea that seemed to connect.”
On show days, Rogers likes to walk the festival site, picking up incidental feedback while surrounded by music fans having a great time together.
One key to Laneway’s success has been its preference for allowing ticketholders aged 16 and above to attend, in line with its uncanny reputation for booking hot acts just as they’re making waves among younger listeners. As well, 65 per cent of ticket buyers are female, up from 60 per cent last year.
Rogers, 49, loves to hear from fellow parents whose teenage children are looking forward to attending a first festival.
“Then they say, ‘Just FYI, I have no idea who’s on your line-up’,” he said with a laugh. “That’s perfect: if you know who’s on my line-up, I’m in trouble – but if your kids are excited, that’s a good sign.”
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