You’re in Naarm, it’s 35 degrees, you’re probably feeling a little worse for wear from New Year’s Eve, but the last thing you want is for the party to end… it’s time to hit up Sun Cycle.
Returning to the infamous Coburg Velodrome, Sun Cycle NYD supplied a delicious outlet to sweat out any remaining energy and enter 2023 in a wash of memorable music.
Gracing the three well-loved stages of Inner Orbit, Simmer Down and Body Heat, this year’s lineup featured:
- Berite,
- BRIA,
- Bumpy,
- C.FIRM,
- Coco Maria,
- DJ PGZ,
- Empress,
- IJALE,
- Kgomotso,
- Lauren Hansom,
- Mirasia,
- Or:La,
- POOKIE,
- Sam Alfred,
- Sampology,
- SHERELLE,
- Sofia Kourtesis,
- Yawung, and
- Yikes.
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Along with the above gifted artists, the day saw a few standouts which congealed crowds of revelers across the velodrome.
In the peak heat, DJ BORING beckoned attendees into the Inner Orbit with waves of house, dance and techno that were far from boring. With many arriving at this later point in the day, DJ BORING’s set exuded excitement as a welcome saunter into the tone of the event.
Indiana-raised rapper Freddie Gibbs then kicked off with several chants of “fuck the police” to set the tone of his act. Seemingly deviating from the overall style offering in the lineup, Freddie Gibbs provided a gratifying energy boost for those craving his uncompromising approach to hip-hop.
The Body Heat stage certainly brought people body-to-body when Palms Trax went B2B with Job Jobse. With a Kylie ‘Can’t Get You Out of My Head’ mix, the curated atmosphere left little room for anything less than high frequency moods.
Reminiscent of a comfortable but rowdy house party, Antal’s closing set in Simmer Down’s cozy space had limbs flailing every which way, with the beats enveloping the crowd like a familiar hug.
What a bitter-sweet moment it was when Folamour hit the stage; knowing his appearance signaled the beginning of the end of the event, but also that we were about to experience something magical. The French house and disco connoisseur delivered tasteful funk and groove into the night, with a presence that radiated positivity and united the crowd in dance.
Moving from the music, attendance feels to have expanded at Sun Cycle this year and though I personally love the unique location, the stage areas were sometimes very packed, and the event’s growing success may force it to find a new home in the future.
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To cater for our non-musical needs, the event also offered plenty of shade, roving crowd care (carrying essential sunscreen and spray bottles), bars, food stalls, drink taps, ample portaloos, friendly security and a medics tent.
A new misting tunnel feature was set up this year, which was a thoughtful idea in theory, but its residual water caused some sludge and the tunnel itself felt more like a lukewarm sauna of condensation.
However, the only real lowlight was when the party had to end. Given the usual hot temperatures at this time of year, and the hangovers from NYE preventing attendees from rising to the occasion early, it could be ideal to have the event begin later in the day and flow into the next.
Once again, Sun Cycle upheld itself as a party committed to self-expression, connectedness, and superbly considered music.
