As we swing into the second half of the year, our minds inevitably turn to the impending summer and its bountiful offerings of music festival delights, particularly the ones over New Years Eve.
Planning for any new years activities is always fraught with the anxiety of how to best lessen the inevitable disappointment of a usually over-hyped night… well fret no more because Victoria’s best boutique New Year’s bash is back!
That’s right, returning to those postcard-worthy hills of The Farm in South Gippsland, NYE on the Hill will be ringing in 2019 on Sunday 30 December, Monday 31 December and Tuesday 1 January for three days and two nights of ridiculously good times.
We could think of no better place to be hunting for a NYE midnight pash or hurling a mixture of champagne and bourbon against a tree stump at three in the morning of a fresh new year… especially when it’s being headed by Australia’s legendary folk-punk favourites The Smith Street Band!
From festivals around the world to stageless squats and dive bars, The Smith Street Band have seen it all and they’ve poured their experiences into their boldest and most ambitious release to date – More Scared Of You Than You Are Of Me – their epic fourth album. It’s landed triple j’s ‘Feature Album’ and debuted at #3 on the ARIA Album Charts. Their tunes routinely have crowds feeling all the feels so there’s no doubt you’ll be singing along word-for-word to classics like ‘Death to the Lads’ and ‘Young Drunk’ with festival mates, old and new.
Joining the Smithies, NYE on the Hill has revealed the rest of their killer lineup for the 2018/19 incarnation. This year the Hills will see sets from The Kite String Tangle, Sampa The Great, Last Dinosaurs, Slowly Slowly, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Hollow Coves, Kaiit, Mildlife, Jess Locke, Tyne-James Organ, Adrian Eagle, Eliott, Jordan Dennis, Approachable Members Of Your Local Community (side note, what an epic name!!), Clews, Diet, Crocodylus, Adult.Films, Tones and I and Maddy May with even more to come! Geezuz.
This festival is seriously looking the goods, especially with only 2,700 tickets up for grabs. Yes that’s right, this boutique bash has a strict capacity and a totally unique vibe. Think a bar at the edge of the world, a tiny rave cave with a tiny capacity, and an old school bus dishing out fresh scones, lemonade and panoramic festival views! They also fill the festival out with field games, competitive ping pong, street food, chill out areas, late night DJ’s, art installations, morning yoga and much more.
The best bit? Each evening at sundown, the entire festival comes to a halt and gathers atop the Hill to take in a truly breathtaking sunset, backdropped by those rolling hills and the sparkling Southern Ocean.
Another benefit of heading to the hill is that it’s easy on the wallet (which is pretty rare when you’re talking music festivals and NYE celebrations) as its 100 per cent BYO. No forking out $50 for 100 drink tickets which gets you exactly 1.5 mid-strength beers… If you and your mate bring a car each, one for camping gear and one stockpiled with half your local bottle-o’s stock, your laughing. No crying on the couch with your goon sack watching the fireworks this year. What’s more is that tickets also include free camping!
What a way to ring in the New Year. Gather your gang of good-vibing folk, bust out your fancy dress outfits and get your camping gear because the only place to spend New Years Eve is on the hill.
When & Where: NYE on the Hill goes down in South Gippsland from Sunday 30 December – Tuesday 1 January.
The Farm – 10 mins from Loch Village | 20 mins from Wonthaggi | 95 mins from Melbourne
Tickets via www.nyeonthehill.com.au