Sweetfest is a free, all ages, 100% female line-up music festival featuring Alex Lahey, Hayley Mary, The Sweethearts and more.
The third time’s a charm for Geelong’s brand-new festival Sweetfest which is going down this March after being postponed twice due to the ongoing Victorian restrictions.
The festival, which was brought to life by The Sweethearts Foundation will take place on Sunday, March 6 moving forward with an incredible all-female lineup.
The key takeaways
- Sweetfest is a free, all ages, 100% female line-up music festival
- Sweetfest is all about celebrating women in music, especially those from the Geelong region
- The festival will take place in Little Malop Street on March 6 from 11am
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Originally scheduled to go ahead back in May last year, Sweetfest is an event born from the desire to provide performance opportunities for young women, a key focus for the iconic not-for-profit Sweethearts group. Supporting and running the Sweethearts program for the last 20 years – an ever-changing all-female band with a reputation for sassy neo-soul, punchy originals and great entertainment – this astounding free festival is just another element of the foundation’s work that aims to broaden opportunities to women throughout the Geelong and Melbourne areas.
Bringing women to the very front, Sweetfest will take place over four stages, including an outdoor stage on the Johnstone Park forecourt and in the Little Malop St Precinct, including Pistol Pete’s Food & Blues; West End Upstairs and Beav’s Bar, with some acts live streaming via Sweethearts Youtube Channel for those who can’t make it.
The powerhouse lineup includes a solo set from the much-loved Alex Lahey, one of the handfuls of solo-female rockers to come out of Australia in recent years. Armed with undeniable talent, obvious skill and a relentless commitment to perfecting her craft, Lahey has been riding the rollercoaster of success since announcing herself to the world (and our playlists) in 2016 with her debut EP ‘B-Grade University’ which catapulted the Geelong-born singer-songwriter into popularity with fans and critics alike.
Alongside Lahey, the festival will also feature the unshakable elegance and undeniable talent of Hayley Mary (of The Jezabels), acclaimed Indigenous vocalist and Melbourne rhythm combo Emma Donovan & The Putbacks, the renowned local 30-piece all-female soul band Sweethearts, showcasing the strength and depth of female musicians in Geelong and across Melbourne.
Further rounding out this truly astounding collection of female talents, the festival will also see the likes of Geelong mainstay singer-songwriter and guitarist Rach Brennan, Surf Coast alt-pop artist Libby Steel, Geelong-based sensuous, enigmatic six-piece Cry Baby, as well as Fulton Street, Mink Mila, Lique, Sarah Carroll, Andrea Robertson, Carly Robertson and Operation Karma, among others.
What an incredible lineup of female flair.
“The work we have been doing through the Arts, Live Entertainment and Hospitality portfolio is really starting to gain traction and Council is proud to support Sweetfest as a showcase of all things music within Greater Geelong, especially by female musicians. The Sweethearts Foundation has pulled off a coup by announcing Alex Lahey (solo), Hayley Mary and Emma Donovan and The Putbacks as headlining Sweetfest for this unique celebration,” says Councillor Eddy Kontelj, Chair of Arts, Live Entertainment and Hospitality Portfolio.
“Through the joy of live music, this event will help draw visitors into Central Geelong, creating a vibrant atmosphere and generating increased trade for bars, restaurants and other venues, which is particularly important at this time.
“Hosting quality events such as Sweethearts reflects our intent for Geelong to become the live entertainment hub of Australia,”
This is a free, all-ages event. It all goes down from 11am on Sunday, March 6 in the Little Malop Precinct, Geelong.
Sweetfest is supported by the City of Greater Geelong through the Arts & Culture Department, Arts Industry Commissions.
