Loch Hart Music Festival is heading to the coast this November

Lazy days and happy nights. A place where you can watch the sun dip into the sea while music fills your ears. Where the sea spray will cool you down and the sunset will soothe the soul… sounds like a castle in the sky right?
Well it’s not… it’s actually Loch Hart Music Festival, the newest festival heading to the small scenic town of Princetown this Summer where the vibe will be chill, the music will be infectious and the scenery will inspire.
Created as an opportunity to showcase local up and coming Australian talent and the very aesthetically pleasing Great Ocean Road (and all its treasures), this is a festival where you can unwind, escape the daily grind and give yourself a seachange, if only for the weekend.
Chatting with festival organiser Jayden Bath, Loch Hart Music Festival was created around the idea of being a perfect weekend where music lovers can enjoy an intimate and relaxed festival surrounded by ocean views before heading home completely rejuvenated and refreshed.
“It’s genuinely going to be awesome,” Jayden beams. “I am so confident that when people are there, they are going to have a good time.
“It’s everything rolled into one. It’s BYO, it’s camping, it’s genuinely really good live acts. We’re trying to do all the right things in regards to the environment,” he continues. “It’s such a place for it; it’s ocean views, it’s the start of festival season, the weather is getting warmer, and it’s going to be awesome.”
Drawing inspiration from a number of quality boutique music festivals including Meredith Music Festival and The Hills Are Alive, Jayden began crafting the festival with the most important people as his guide – the punters.
“I started talking to people about what they love in a music festival and what one should look like, and then I’ve tried to implement everything that they care about. It’s very much a people’s choice of music festivals, there’s been so many people contribute ideas.”
Creating a festival all the elements that punters desire, it was a pretty simple but important remit that inspired the creation of Loch Hart Music Festival – to bring people together – and what better way then with an awesome lineup?
Teaming up with Rhys Britnell from Kennedys Creek, a festival who have nailed the vibe, got a killer line up and worked out a map that just makes life a breeze every year, the two began curating a diverse gender equal line-up, in several genres, such as alternative rock, indie, pop, punk, hip hop and roots.
“There was a real focus on acts that would flow into one another, but we also wanted to focus on the fact that everyone is playing live,” Jayden explains. “We’ve really focused on ensuring everyone is an amazing performer and engaging in their live sets which is something I’m really excited about getting people to see.”
With this in mind, they’ve sourced some of the best up-and-coming Australian talent with the likes of indie rockers Last Dinosaurs, Australia’s most electrifying punk band Waax, Melbourne punks Press Club, Geelong’s own Orb and indie rapper Ivan Ooze, alongside IV League, Nancie Schipper, Localles, Bin, Zoe Fox and the Rocket Clocks, and Approachable Members of Your Local Community hit the stage – just to name a few.
“We’re so excited about this lineup. Press Club were one of the first artists we signed, they are so good! Definitely one of the best live acts in Australia at the moment,” he continues. “Her [frontwoman Natalie Foster] energy is phenomenal; it’s exhausting watching her. I feel like it’s also similar with WAAX; they are just as intense live and have been absolutely killing it.”

A festival for happy minds, the team at Loch Hart want all attendees to relax and focus on having a good time with friends – and that extends past just having a great lineup. Focusing on creating an experience, punters can enjoy a range of activities across the weekend that will guarantee you feeling completely refreshed – and maybe even revitalised – as you pack up your tent on the Sunday. Whether you bring a picnic and chill to the tunes in the arvo, or play some games in the gaming area or doing some craft, or get up for yoga in the morning, the festival is all about embracing ‘you do you’.
While there’s a lot to love about Australian music festivals, it must be said that it can be a bit of a drain on your bank account. Between tickets, travelling, food, merch, accommodation, and gumboots, you can end up spending quite the pretty penny on a weekend of fun and music. But it doesn’t have to be this way, and Loch Hart Music Festival is committed to making your music festival experience not only a memorable one, but also thrifty with the privilege of bringing your own booze, which Jayden declares is a must these days.
“It’s everything my friends want in a festival, and we don’t really look at festivals that go for more than one day that aren’t BYO,” Jayden explains. “It’s money saving for the punters, but it’s more than that. It creates an atmosphere of trusting people enough to bring in their drinks and feel more comfortable in their environment and not have to stand behind a cage if you want to buy a drink.
“We’re having a bar as well, but that will be more supplementary,” he continues. “If you want to come try out some local brews, there’s that option but it’s more if people want some tasty cocktails into the night.”
The thought of palming off the traditional $10 warm mid-strength festival beer makes us a bunch of happy campers that’s for sure. Of course, alongside the bar there will be a number of food stalls at the festival, but you are also welcome to bring your own food as well.
Further making this festival experience easy on the bank account and in the interests of saving you from living pay check to pay check up until Christmas, Loch Hart is all about the on-site DIY home. That’s right. This one’s will see punters camping in the paddocks surrounding Kangaroobie campsite which means the stage is right at your doorstep. Oh and it’s included in the ticket price so there’s no extra costs (unless you want to step up your experience and opt for glamping which is totally fine if you just can’t see yourself in a $10 Kmart tent).
Proving Loch Hart is a place for everyone, there will also be a camping area designated as an alcohol-free zone that you can elect to camp in at the festival if you wish to do so. Loch Hart is an inclusive event, and the priority is on wanting everyone to have fun and feel comfortable so if mixing camping and alcohol isn’t your cup of tea, let the crew know on arrival and they’ll take care of you!

In line with being a place for people to come together and enjoy live music, fresh air and have a break from the usual, Jayden is also focused on fostering a culture of positive change within the Australian Music Industry, bringing in new policies including the Your Choice movement to ensure the festival is a safe space for everybody, as well as undertaking green initiatives so the festival is environmentally sustainable.
Loch Hart Music Festival really is a festival that was created in search of that moment… That moment when you’re listening to some killer tunes, surrounded by your closest friends, the sun is beaming down on your face, you’ve just eaten a glorious meal and you stop and take it all in. That moment when you look around and go “this is the life”.
We love those moments, and this festival promises to provide millions of moments.
The festival will run from November 16 – 18.
Tickets are on sale now via www.lochhart.com