Still undecided on how you'll bring in 2017? Gippslandia chatted to the organisers of one of the region's best music festivals, Beyond The Valley, to get the low-down on what makes a cracking eve!
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Which acts are you most excited to see this year?
It's a tie between Chance the Rapper and Sticky Fingers. Chance has quickly become one of the biggest international artists and we’ll host his first show ever Down Under. Plus, he seems to be an awesome guy – his activism work received praise from Barrack Obama.
Aussie legends, Sticky Fingers are just gonna put on a hell of a loose New Year’s countdown. Equally excited for that too!
What are some of the benefits of hosting the festival at Lardner Park, instead of the City?
Festivals, like ours, are about more than just the event – it's the overall experience. The road trip to the event and exploring the surrounding area are a big part of the whole occasion.
We're lucky to have a bunch of great experiences available to our crowd within the Baw Baw Shire, which we feature on our website and are promoting through our social media channels. It's great to see the awesome response these different experiences receive on our Facebook page; with people tagging their friends and getting excited about things that aren't just at Beyond The Valley.
What makes Beyond The Valley the best festival to be at this year compared to other New Year’s Eve festivals?
Everyone’s accustomed to comparing festivals based on their lineup, which is fair. We're very proud of our lineup this year, and there are obviously a lot of people that prefer our lineup to other options.
However, I think our real edge is the extended experience at the event. Only at Beyond The Valley can you get lost wandering through our huge market village, climb a giant animal sculpture, get married in our giant inflatable chapel, play with our interactive art installations and enjoy a delicious cocktail watching one of our great artists perform on our very elaborately themed stage. We’ve really gone all out this year. In joining us – you’ve made the right choice!
What is the toughest aspect of pulling off a successful festival?
Working ‘round the clock during the event, and then watching all your friends and family having an amazing time. Of course, it’s all worth it, but it’s just very hard to not get caught up in all the fun that everyone’s having or having to miss a performance as you’re needed elsewhere.
How does hosting Beyond The Valley benefit the hosting community?
Supporting the local community is very important to us, as ultimately they’re the people that make the event happen. They’re the builders, the plumbers, the electricians and the caterers. Anywhere we can provide work to the local community we do. Additionally, there's naturally a big swell in local trade as over 15,000 people come down to the area and need to stock up on groceries, supplies, petrol, etc.
Last, but not least, we provide an exciting and worthwhile event for New Years for the locals. We've received lots of praise from music lovers all through the Gippsland region. Crowds travel from all corners of Australia to attend Beyond The Valley, so having it come to you is definitely a bonus for a lot of the young locals.
Head to Beyond The Valley to get yourself one of the last remaining tickets.
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