As we begin to recover after another awesome year of Splendour in the Grass, we can reflect back on the weekend with a clear mind, and focus on the more important parts of the festival (if I have to listen to one more person complain about the mud, I think I’m going to throat-punch them).
Day 1 – Friday, July 24
The first day is always really exciting (Splendour always falls around my birthday as well, so I tend to get extra excited); you rock up, wander around the festival site to get your bearings, make mental note of the Wine Bar, the Craft Beer Bar, Govindas food tent, and mark your group meeting points. We tried our hardest to get there for Mansionair, but time was not on our side. The first act we were able to see was Urban Cone; I wasn’t a huge fan of these guys, but some of my friends really enjoyed them. My personal highlights of the day were Mark Maxwell, George Maple, Client Liaison, Dustin Tebbutt, Seekae (these guys were awesome) and Porter Robinson.
Day 2 – Saturday, July 25
Today started out way more chilled. Everyone seemed to be more relaxed and were getting used to stomping around in the mud. We were so relaxed that we got there a little bit too late in the afternoon and missed a stack of acts that we really wanted to see. We did however get there just in time for my buddies SAFIA who put on a killer show. Day 2 highlights were SAFIA, Years & Years (a special mention has to go to these guys for delivering such a great performance considering their gear didn’t turn up. I was well impressed), Young Franco (the dude totally nailed it), Purity Ring, Hayden James, Nancy Whang (disco heaven), and Florence & the Machine; I’m not generally a huge fan of Florence, but she did put on an incredible show.
Day 3 – Sunday, July 26
The last day; you’re hell tired and want to go home, but at the same time you don’t want this weekend to ever end. We got there late again (we were staying at a hotel in Byron, so going for a swim at the beach and grabbing a nice breakfast is always first on the to-do list). We got there just in time for MØ who as usual put on a really great show. The mud was a tiny bit more solid and the people seemed to be even more chilled today, which together made the experience quite enjoyable. My picks for Day 3 were MØ, Set Mo, Alpine, Elizabeth Rose (she nailed it), Alison Wonderland (I was disappointed that she didn’t bother to sing any of her own singles), Tame Impala and the legendary Blur.
The Amphitheatre stage is a fantastic addition to the festival; it’s massive, the sound travels really well and you can see the stage from pretty much anywhere you stand. Similarly the Tiny Dancer tent is also a great addition – I found it to be the driest place to dance on the whole site!
For those that have never been to a Splendour in the Grass, you honestly don’t know what you’re missing, so do yourself a favour and get your ass to at least one of them in your lifetime. Never listen to the people that bitch about certain elements of the festival, but instead listen to the people that have so many positive things to say.
Catch you next year Splendour in the Grass!
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