‘Best festival in world’: Meredith Music Festival wraps up its 33rd year in the Golden Plains
Festival-goers have headed home after the 33rd Meredith Music – three days of music, costumes, colour and camping in the Golden Plains. SEE THE PHOTOS
Festival-goers packed up their tents and headed home on Sunday afternoon as the Meredith Music Festival wrapped up after three lively days in Golden Plains.
The paddocks buzzed with colour and energy across the weekend, with costumes, music and swelling crowds creating the trademark Meredith atmosphere.
The revered festival, held on farmland over the first weekend of the summer, kicked off on Friday afternoon, where punters were greeted by pop crooner Perfume Genius, jazz-funk voyagers Mildlife and Detroit alt-pop vocalist Sam Austin.
Brooklyn-based TV on The Radio, who are touring Australia for the first time in a decade, also had the wide-eyed Supernatural Amphitheatre jumping as they headlined Saturday night.
The festival sits largely on the Nolan family farm, where Chris Nolan, along with friends Marcus Downie and Greg Peele, first dreamt up the event.
In its 33rd year, the annual shenanigans held northwest of Geelong are legendary, with one regular attendee, Danielle Cannon, declaring it “the best festival in the world”.
“I’ve been to Coachella in California, Glastonbury in the UK and some of the biggest festivals in Europe,” she said.
“Meredith is still my pick of the lot.
“There is just something magical about this joint.”
Crowds are capped each year with a ballot system ensuring the event has never outgrown itself.
Refreshingly, not a single advertising billboard or poster could be seen on the grounds.
Partygoers were able to camp a short distance from a single stage and bring their own booze, food and supplies over three-days.
Beloved Australian singer-songwriter Chet Faker also graced the stage as the sun set on Saturday evening, while punk four-piece Dr Sure’s Unusal Practice and indie rockers Rhysics were deemed up-and-comers to watch.
Nolan, Downie and Peele technically founded the event in 1990, but it wasn’t until the following year that the inaugural gathering – essentially a laid-back end-of-year party for Chris and his mates – came to life.
Chris’s parents, Jack and Mary, agreed to host the fledgling festival on their property near the family home, setting the stage for what would become one of Victoria’s most beloved cultural institutions.
Their enduring hospitality and investment has helped cement it and sister festival, Golden Plains, as fixtures on Australia’s music calendar.
Multiple camp sites, bars, toilets and other infrastructure have been custom made on the property, about 35 minutes from the Geelong CBD.
The festival famously ended on Sunday with The Meredith Gift – a completely nude or underwear foot race often performed in slush and mud.
A Victoria Police spokesman said police have been very happy with crowd behaviour at the three-day Meredith Music Festival over the past weekend with patrons enjoying the event.
“There were minimal requests for police assistance regarding offences or antisocial behaviour,” the spokesman said.
“Police are investigating a minor assault matter which resulted in a male being evicted from the site and enquires are ongoing.
“Traffic is expected to be heavy this afternoon while patrons leave the site.”
SEE THE PHOTOS.
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Originally published as ‘Best festival in world’: Meredith Music Festival wraps up its 33rd year in the Golden Plains
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