Falls Festival’s 25th Birthday Sets 2018 Off in Style [Event Review]

This year people all over Australia brought in the New Year at Falls Festival. Locations in Lorne, Marion Bay, Byron Bay, and Fremantle were completely sold out and made Falls one of the most popular things to do on, or around the holiday.

We went to the original site of the festival, Lorne. The lineup was packed full of talent and it was as varied as it was deep, with acts ranging from rock and indie to rap and electronica.

There’s no question that the music was center stage at Falls. The Valley Stage served as the main attraction where the masses gathered to cheer on their favorite acts. The Grand Theater was more of a closed venue that afforded fans both fans and performers a more up close and personal experience.

However, attendees were given a multitude of choices of side activities in which to partake. Rancho Relaxo included mellowed out things such as dream catcher weaving and tarot card readings paired with some of the best local acts this side of the Pacific Ocean.

Attendees could also take in comedy shows, have their own private 10 Minute Dance Party, or even get festival married. The organizers of the festival made sure that revelers had more than enough activities to fill their time on the premises.

Now, all the diversions that Falls offered were fantastic, but as we mentioned before, the music was the focus. The lineup was jam packed all four days and the performers enjoyed every bit of the big crowd cheering them on.

As early bird campers arrived on the first day, they were treated by performances by Haiku Hands, Confidence Man, and Australian legend Daryl Braithwaite. There’s no better song to sing along to in an Australian summer than “Horses” and all attendees were able to share in a rousing rendition. Thundamentals brought the first day to an end and set the stage for what was going to be a crazy event.

As the second day dawned and the clouds opened up, most of the festival-goers set up their campsites battling wind and rain. However, the inconsistent weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of the revelers as the Dune Rats and Foster The People played to packed crowds. Flume played an impressive set as fans danced their hearts out and sang along. Benson brought the night to a close with some good old fashion dancefloor toonage. Everyone left tired but still charged up for the following days.

Overnight the wind raged, and the campsites turned into a canopy graveyard. The rain still fell, but you would never know the conditions weren’t perfect by everyone’s attitude. The attendees’ enthusiasm was matched by the artists’ energy and as the day wore on each act just kept getting better and better.

DRAM decided to sing his hit song “Broccoli” from deep within the crowd (his security wasn’t happy with his decision) and gave lucky fans an up close and personal experience that you just don’t usually see.

Dave and Allday operated on two different ends of the rap spectrum, but crushed every minute of their sets. Liam Gallagher channeled his Oasis spirit and had the entire festival singing “Wonderwall”.

The night ended on a magical note as the final block was easily the best of the weekend. The Kooks had the crowd singing and dancing to classics such as “Naïve” and “She Moves In Her Own Way”. Nina Las Vegas threw everything but the kitchen sink into her set and was seamlessly mixing between house, trap, and break beats.

Finally, Peking Duk burned the place to the ground. Their set satisfied all of the die-hards by including songs like “Let You Down” and “Fake Magic” but also threw everyone off kilter by throwing in absolute heat like Congorock’s “Babylon.

By the end of the second day everyone was in full swing and completely ready to take on the new year. Luckily, New Years Eve did not disappoint. Alex Lahey started the day off bringing the energy, while Angus & Julia Stone brought the soul. The Smith Street Band brought some angst while Glass Animals brought the funk.

While Run The Jewels was busy rapping the new year in on the main stage, Wax Motif had Countdown to Midnight duties in the Grand Theater. One can imagine that having to stop halfway through your set to do a countdown might throw off your vibe a little, but Wax Motif was an absolute legend. Playing “Horses” at the stroke of midnight was a genius move to let everyone sing together and enjoy the changing of the calendar.

To finish off the festival, Heaps Gay DJ’s brought their crazy and off the wall brand of entertainment to make sure that everyone was still moving until the final bell. It must be no small feat to have the 2 – 4 am time slot on the last day of a 4 day festival, but you would never know it was that late. Their brand of house and disco energy, Glitterbox classics, and as the festival came to an end sing along tunes made sure that even late into the night, people were still up and about.

Falls Festival capped their 25th birthday off in style and is no doubt one of, if not the premier festival to go to over New Years anywhere in Australia.

Connect with Falls Festival:
https://www.facebook.com/fallsfestival
https://twitter.com/fallsofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/fallsfestival

---

Share On