Cultura’s Pako Festa is Victoria’s largest free multicultural street festival and continues to celebrate Geelong’s diversity through the magic of food, dance and music along Pakington Street, Geelong West.
Established in 1983, Pako Festa is a vibrant cultural celebration that remains a standout event on the annual calendar – don’t miss out!
The street is lined with authentic food from around the globe and invites you to a feast of the senses as you sample and soak the unique atmosphere on offer.
The Street Parade – one of the major attractions of the event – will kick off at 11am and is shaping into one of the most colourful, vibrant displays of communities for its 43rd year.
The event stage program features over 40 acts across 5 outdoor stages, look out for the chill-out spaces to rest up and soak up the community spirit and visit the Global Craft market to discover unique handcrafted items from 12pm inside the West Town Hall.
Pako Festa 2025:
- When: Saturday 22 February, 9am – 5pm.
- Where: Pakington Street, Geelong West
Keep up with the latest music news, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
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Petrel Hotel Stage Line-up
Take a seat and enjoy an afternoon of great music outdoors with The Petrel Hotel team at the northern end of the festival, along Pakington Street.
Kicking off at 12.30pm with Wild Gloriosa and band, Bella Deer then closing with The Gabby Steel Band to take you through to 4.30pm.
Wild Gloriosa, the brainchild of Gloria Ragesh, Wild Gloriosa takes her name from Tamil Nadu’s state flower Gloriosa, or flame lily.
Wild Gloriosa is a soulful songwriter from Geelong, taking delight in sharing her sound with many soul lovers alike. Inspired by Bill Withers, Lianne La Havas and Yebba, Wild Gloriosa enjoys connecting with her audience through storytelling and messages of self-love whilst delivering smooth, gentle melodies to warm your spirit.
With South Indian roots and a Singaporean upbringing, Wild Gloriosa’s journey spans diverse landscapes. Raised in a household where music was a way to connect with the community, she uses songwriting as a canvas for sharing messages with the world. With past performances supporting renowned artists such as Jessica Mauboy, The Jungle Giants, and The Bamboos, playing festivals such as Melbourne International Jazz festival and Queenscliff Music Festival and recently winning the Music Victoria Diaspora (2024) award, Wild Gloriosa continues to stand out, carving her own path in the soul music space.
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Bella Deer is a proud Geelong local. She is accomplished as a pianist, singer/songwriter, storyteller and a performing and recording artist, living on Wadawurrung Country.
Bella has a track record of performing in Australia, in our region, and overseas; in 2024 she performed in Seoul, South Korea and had a sell-out Single Launch Show in Brisbane with Aubrielle and Arkasea.
In 2023, she co-produced a music video with Geelong director David Fromholtz featuring the Great Ocean Road and the iconic Aireys Inlet lighthouse.
The release of her debut EP Age of Alchemy in late 2024, pushes the boundaries of her sound with the support of her talented band. Simon (bass), Rael (drums) and Josh (guitar).
Look out for her in 2025 and stay tuned for updates throughout the year by joining the mailing list – visit her website.
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Gabby Steel, Hailing from South West Victoria, is a singer-songwriter with a gift for crafting soulful and memorable folk/indie pop songs.
Gabby’s powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics are the centrepiece of her music. Gabby blends elements of soul, pop, and blues to create a style that is both familiar and original.
A seasoned live performer, Gabby has played at some of Australia’s most prestigious music festivals, including the main stage of Port Fairy’s iconic Folk Festival and the Queenscliff Music Festival.
She has also shared the stage with well-known Australian artists such as Owen Campbell, Tex Perkins, Karen Lee Andrews and Kate Ceberano, gaining her reputation as a rising star to listen out for.
Gabby’s second EP release titled Scuttle came in 2022, and she was recently joined by her rockin’ band for the release of her latest work, The Urge Will Pass EP.
Gabby is heading back to the studio and will be releasing her new EP in this year!
Gabby will be joined on stage by her band; Melody Speed on bass, Liesel Gersuel on drums and backing vocals, Riordan Stewart-McDougall on electric guitar and backing vocals.
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Keep an eye out for the full fantastic line-up, to be announced this weekend.
