Falls Festival full line-up: Arctic Monkeys and Lil Nas X to headline event’s return after two-year break

After a two-year pandemic pause, the marquee Falls Festival is back with a stellar program. SEE FULL LINE-UP.

British rock stars Arctic Monkeys and dazzling pop star Lil Nas X will headline the return of the marquee Falls Festival after a two-year pandemic pause.

Other internationals booked for the New Year’s festivities include regular Australian gig tourists Scottish electronic trio Chvches and electronic guru Jamie xx.

The Australian contingent is packed with festival faves and rising stars – several who will also perform at Splendour In Grass this July – with Ocean Alley, Spacey Jane, DMA’s, G Flip, Amyl and the Sniffers, Genesis Owusu, King Stingray and Anna Lunoe in the first line-up announce.

The festival organisers already confirmed they were moving venues from its birthplace of Lorne in Victoria, where the 2019/2020 event was cancelled after its first day because of the threat of the Black Summer bushfires, to its new home at Pennyroyal Plains in Birregurra.

UK rock band Arctic Monkeys return to Australia in December. Picture: Supplied

The Falls promoters have also shifted to Fremantle Park for its two-day WA event.

The programming of Arctic Monkeys seems to suggest the band will have new music out before they arrive in Australia with reports they have almost wrapped recording of their seventh album.

Lil Nas X will make his Australia live debut at the festival and considering his recent social posts expressing a desire to tour with The Wiggles, it would be short odds to see some skivvies on stage with the American superstar.

Will Lil Nas X be sporting a sequined skivvy at Falls? Picture: Supplied

Many of the Falls artists will pull extra festival duty during their Australian visit and perform at the comeback of the Central Coast event Lost Paradise in Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1.

Falls organisers are offering wellness alternatives to temper the typical festival bacchanalia, with “morning yoga or pilates session, then meditate your way to being perfectly present in the festival moment before hitting Hammock Heaven with your morning juice or smoothie.”

Perhaps embracing the “if you can’t beat em, join em” philosophy after watching sporting events go ahead during lockdowns and border restrictions while live music remained in hibernation, there’s also the Shit Olympics.

In between catching your fave musical acts, you can compete in three-legged races (what could possibly go wrong?), backyard cricket, and for those who have quit drinking, there’s non-alcoholic beer pong.

Australian festival fave G Flip will be a Falls party starter. Picture: Supplied

The completion of all three Groovin The Moo regional festivals last week has given promoters and music fans a boost in confidence as live music entertainment finds its new Covid normal.

Sydney is gearing up for the colourful return of the Vivid Festival in late May while Listen Out and Split Milk festivals released their line-ups and ticketing details last week.

The full first line-up is Arctic Monkeys, Lil Nas X, Peggy Gou, Chvrches, Jamie xx, Aminé, Ocean Alley, Camelphat, Spacey Jane, DMA’S, G Flip, PinkPantheress, Rico Nasty, Amyl and the Sniffers, Mall Grab, Ben Böhmer (live), DJ Seinfeld, Genesis Owusu, Tsha, CC: DISCO!, Young Franco, Anna Lunoe, Luude, Lastlings, May-a, Choomba, The Vanns, King Stingray, Peach PRC, Beddy Rays, Jean Dawson, Telenova, Biscits, Barry Can’t Swim, Floodlights, Elkka, Wongo, Yng Martyr, 1300, Moktar, Magdalena Bay, Dameeeela, Ebony Boadu, Elsy Wameyo, Rona. and Juno Mamba.

The Falls Festival 2022/23

Pennyroyal Plains, Victoria December 29-31

North Byron Parklands, NSW – December 31 to January 2.

Fremantle Park, WA – January 7 and 8.

Tickets on sale on Moshtix from 9am on May 12, with all details via fallsfestival.com

Originally published as Falls Festival full line-up: Arctic Monkeys and Lil Nas X to headline event’s return after two-year break