QMF wraps its 19th Festival
Queenscliff Music Festival came to a close on Sunday 29 Nov, wrapping its 19th edition with star studded performances by Ron Sexsmith, Kate Miller-Heidke and Angus & Julia Stone that had crowds of around 15,000 over three days up and dancing right to the very end.
The sun came out for the duration of the festival and Queenscliff was shining in all its glory. The 70-act lineup performed diverse sets across the festival grounds and throughout the township in the many partnering venues.
Saturday headliners Hoodoo Gurus and Paul Dempsey were tipped as the ones to watch, but surprise buzz acts included The California Honeydrops all the way from USA, New Zealand’s Estere and Australian groups 19-Twenty and OKA. Damien Cowell with his unique ‘Disco Machine’ show had the crowd roaring and the guests piling in, with special appearances onstage by Kate Miller-Heidke, Liz Stringer and Tony Martin. More unexpected collaborations came in the guise of Damien Cowell performing on Kate Miller-Heidke’s new song I’m Growing a Beard Downstairs for Christmas, and she also invited the sweet harmonies of All Our Exes Live In Texas to join her on stage for a special song.
QMF Emerging Artist Grant winners The Tiny Giants were the local act to watch, and those who made it into their jam packed show at The Pavillion on Saturday Night were not disappointed. Sweethearts won the hearts of the crowd as expected, and local Bellarine Secondary Collage school teacher Hollie Joyce took home the Ross Lipson Award, which acknowledges a female from the local area who has shown excellence in, along with promoting and supporting, the local music industry.
Festival Director Andrew Orvis says “the festival ran without a hitch and everyone I saw across the weekend seemed to be smiling, dancing and generally having a great time. I’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback about the whole event. People were raving about the music and there were surprise hits including the brand new Ozone Lounge which became a big hotspot at the festival thanks to its laid back vibe and DJ Vince Peach who always gets the dance floor packed.
“Another big winner was our kid’s area which was packed with families. Being positioned right next to one of the main stages this year meant that parents could watch the music while keeping an eye on their young ones. Creating a family friendly event is more than an afterthought for us at QMF, so we really wanted to have a circus tent and great all ages acts like ‘Pete & his Circus Dogs’ who became the best attended kids event we’ve ever had at QMF. We also had great feedback on the spread of quality food stalls. People seemed to really enjoy the diversity of food on offer this year.”
With another successful event weekend and truly wrapped, the planning is now on for the next Queenscliff Music Festival which marks their 20 year celebration and is set to take over the town from 25-27 November 2016. Early Bird Tickets are on sale in March 2016. Subscribe at www.qmf.net.au or www.facebook.com/queenscliffmusfest
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