Batten down the hatches, the 2020 Festival of Sails is making its return.
As one of Australia’s oldest sporting events (and the largest keelboat regatta in the southern hemisphere) the Royal Geelong Yacht Club’s Festival of Sails has played a key part in the Victorian and Australian yachting calendar since 1844, attracting more than 300 entries, 3,000 competitors and 100,000 visitors annually to Geelong to experience the incredibly competitive and diverse event.
A highlight each year for us here at Forte though is most definitely the live music program which will see as many as 30 different artists performing live across two stages, over three days! So who can we expect to rock the Geelong waterfront this Australia Day long weekend?
Featuring a distinctive rock ‘n’ roll flavour in 2020, renowned Aussie singer/songwriter Richard Clapton is locked in to headline the line-up for the Australia Day long-weekend event.
Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1999, Clapton started his recording career in 1974 and has gone on to release more than 20 albums, selling more than one million copies. Clapton will be a special part of the festival’s entertainment taking to the Regatta Village stage following the popular fireworks display on the Sunday night.
Other Regatta Village performers over the weekend will include Screaming Jets’ lead guitarist Jimi Hocking who will bring his love of the blues to Geelong, with his band Jimi Hocking’s Blues Machine, while INXSIVE the INXS Tribute Show will also treat INXS fans to some of Australia’s classic rock songs from the eighties and nineties.
Along with our headline acts, there will be dozens of other must-see performances, including local artists, spread out over the long weekend so festival-goers can bring a picnic and settle in for the afternoon including Geelong-raised singer Michael Stangel, Geelong’s Ethan & Ivan, as well as Melbourne performers Bernadette Novembre, Miss Lizzy & The Night Owls and the McNaMarr Project.
While Regatta Village performances are free, wristbands are required from 5pm. Tickets are limited and must be booked. The full entertainment schedule for the Festival of Sails, including performances in Steampacket Gardens, will be announced soon so keep your eyes peeled – it’s renowned for being top-notch!
The Festival of Sails runs from Saturday, January 25 to Monday, January 27, 2020. For more details about Festival of Sails, visit www.festivalofsails.com.au
