Music festivals

Melbourne is a world class music city, boasting a cornucopia of headline festivals, unique venues and out-of-town regional experiences where you can dance until sunrise breaks. For every kind of music-lover, Melbourne has something special to offer. 

After the last two years of COVID-19 cancellations and postponements, Victoria's music industry needs all the support it can get. Luckily, we're all happy to help.

There's a plethora of festivals across the year featuring local favourites to international stars. Delve into this year's showcase of live music.

January

Ocean Sounds Festival
8–9 January 2022
An all-ages, family-friendly sunset concert set on the picturesque Churchill Island (just off Phillip Island).  

Piknic Électronik Melbourne
22 Jan–3 April 2022 
This staple electronic music festival will return to the Kings Domain parklands, featuring a lineup of talent to enjoy in the open air.

February

St Kilda Festival
5–13 February 2022
It's free, fabulous and on the beach. What more could you want from a summer festival? The lineup features new local acts and established favourites. 

St Jerome's Laneway Festival
8 February 2022
Join the cool crowd by the Maribyrnong River for this too-big-for-a-laneway festival featuring local and international acts.

Riverboats Music Festival
18–20 February 2022
Set on the banks of the Murray River in the historic town of Echuca-Moama, Riverboats is the perfect spot to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy a lineup of local and international acts.

Healesville Music Festival
18–20 February 2022 and 11–13 November 2022
Head over to Healesville and celebrate music of all genres in the Yarra Valley over not one, but two weekends in February and November 2022.

March

Brunswick Music Festival
4–14 March 2022
Kicking off with the Sydney Road Street Party, this long-running festival sees known-and-loved local acts and artists from around world at indoor and outdoor venues across Brunswick.

Reunion Park
4 March–10 April 2022
The latest concert venue and arts precinct by the Untitled team (the minds behind Pitch Music & Arts Festival and Beyond the Valley) and Velodrome Events brings a six-week calendar of live music and performances to Burnley. 

Port Fairy Folk Festival
11–14 March 2022
Much more than just a music festival, the Port Fairy Folk Festival is an institution. Four days of top quality local and international acts take over this charming coastal town.

Pitch Music & Arts Festival
11–15 March 2022
Victoria's favourite dance music party in golden fields is back after an extended hiatus, bringing an electronic soundscape featuring local and international headliners to Moyston (close to the Grampians National Park). 

Golden Plains
2022 (CANCELLED), please check the festival website for more information. 2023 dates have yet to be formally announced.
Located at the celebrated Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, the annual Golden Plains rivals its bigger sibling, the famed Meredith Music Festival.

Duke Street Block Party
19 March 2022
First launched in 2019, Duke Street Block Party returns as the coolest kid on the block. 2022 marks only the second edition of this boutique street festival following a series of cancellations, but will see the event spill onto Bond Street and Duke Street in Abbotsford.

BY THE PIER
25–27 March 2022
BY THE PIER has revealed a sizzling hot lineup hitting Queenscliff on the last weekend of March 2022, including Vera Blue, Client Liaison, San Cisco, Julia Stone, Briggs and more. 

April

Sunset Sounds
9 April 2022 (CANCELLED), please check the festival website for more information. 
The Yarra Valley sets the stage for a quality lineup of Aussie greats, so get ready to gather among the grapevines for some classic live music at Rochford Estate.

Surround Sounds
7 April–8 May
Surround Sounds is a month-long festival celebrating Geelong and the Bellarine's live music and cultural heritage scene. 

Rainbow Serpent Festival (Rainbow Reunion) 
17 April 2022 
Rainbow Serpent Festival returns after a COVID-forced hiatus, but it's trading the usual paddocks in Lexton, western Victoria, for the big smoke in 2022. Head to Melbourne Pavilion for this one-day alternative lifestyle, music and arts festival.

Groovin the Moo
30 April 2022
Bendigo hosts Groovin the Moo in April with two outdoor stages, a big top tent, and bands and performers from across the world.   

October

Marysville Music Weekend
14–16 October 2022
Featuring a killer program that spans across the musical spectrum, Marysville Music Weekend has confirmed its headline acts for 2022 over four concert sessions with the full lineup to be announced soon.

Pitch Black
22 October 2022
Pitch Music & Arts Festival's younger, feisty sister brings the same iconic electronic dance cornucopia to the inner city.

November

Queenscliff Music Festival
25–27 November 2022
Soak up the stunning seaside setting, enjoy excellent local and international artists, and sample fresh food and wine from the Bellarine Peninsula all at once. 

ALWAYS LIVE
November–December TBC
A new state-wide celebration of contemporary music, ALWAYS LIVE showcases the talents of rising stars and big names with everything including arena-style shows, intimate performances on rooftops, laneways and cosy venues.

Ability Fest 
November TBC 
Melbourne's inclusive and fully wheelchair accessible music festival will return in 2022, with dates to be announced later in the year.

December

Melbourne International Jazz Festival
December TBC
Hear blistering instrumentalists and soulful singers from around the world over a week of toe-tapping days in venues across Melbourne. 

Melbourne Music Week
3–12 December 2022
An all-you-can-listen event: Melbourne's CBD gets loud as hundreds of acts hit the stage at dozens of locations across town.

Meredith Music Festival
9–11 December 2022
Held in the iconic Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, this December country festival is a favourite on the Victorian music calendar. Be warned: tickets sell out fast and the 2022 edition will be worth the long wait.

Beyond the Valley
December TBC
Beyond the Valley's annual boutique music moved to Melbourne in 2021 for a one-off NYE event, but is expected to return to the parklands of Lardner in 2022.

Falls Festival
Summer 2022–23 TBC
Check back for more on this headline NYE festival in 2022–23 at its new home at Pennyroyal Plains, 30 minutes from Lorne.