Laneway Festival continues to grow, with 2020 biggest year yet

From its humble beginnings as a Melbourne block party, St Jerome’s Laneway Festival has become a five-show touring event.

Pop sensation Tones and I performs last year on the main stage at Splendour in the Grass at Byron Bay.

Last weekend St Jerome’s Laneway Festival began its run of five shows across Australia at the Brisbane Showgrounds, where a capacity crowd of about 25,000 music fans made it the festival’s best-attended event since Laneway began in Melbourne in 2005. A couple of hours after gates opened, I spoke with co-founder Danny Rogers while overlooking the main arena, where thousands of people were gathering to see chart-topping pop singer-songwriter Tones and I. What was it like for him to cast his eye across something now so large that began so small?

“I think it’s awesome that there’s a bit more of an organic story behind how the festival has evolved,” Rogers told me. “We started out as a small street party with very humble beginnings, and we just slowly learned the ropes and built the event up over the last 16 years. I guess we’ve grown into this space, versus it just happened and we’re suddenly trying to figure it out, so I feel pretty comfortable with where it’s at.

“We’ve got a really amazing, experienced team to help deliver the show. And a lot of these kids [in the crowd] are old enough to be my kids. I’m kind of looking around going, ‘Holy shit — we’re becoming grandfathers of this festival!’ ”

Rather than the event being adults-only, Laneway allows ticketholders aged 16 and older. How important has that decision been to the festival’s success? “I feel like it’s critical,” he said. “I just feel like there’s a real lack of opportunities for slightly older teenagers to get to shows, and we’re just noticing more and more with a lot of the acts we’re booking — Billie Eilish, Rex Orange County, and a lot of the acts on the line-up this year — they were very much attracting that kind of 16 to 20-year-old audience. I think it’s really, really important for the future of the festival.

“Look at this,” Rogers said, gesturing towards the main stage and the crowd in front of us. “Tones and I is playing to probably 10,000 or 12,000 people there right now. Wow.” When he booked her last year, Tones and I was popular as a recording artist but a bit of an unknown quantity as far as live performances went. With that in mind, did he see booking her as a risk?

“I thought the songs were really, really strong and I just backed it in because I thought she’s got a great story and I loved her voice,” said Rogers. “I’ve worked with a lot of artists over the years and when they first started, they just simply weren’t ready — but it’s amazing how quickly they grow with 30, 40, 50 gigs under their belt. I have to say, when I did see her at Splendour [in July last year], it was still very raw. But I thought, ‘Holy shit — in six months’ time, she’s going to be ready.’ Now, she’s ready.”