New Year’s celebrations can be tricky – you want to go out and do something to ring in the new year, but you certainly don’t want to spend the entirety of the night shuffling through crowded city streets and packed public transport, all for a few overpriced drinks and some fireworks.
That’s thankfully where music steps in to save the day, on one of the few times of the year where a moshpit is actually less sweaty and tightly packed than your average bar.
So what are your options for this New Year’s Eve, then? We’ve selected a couple we reckon stand head and shoulders above the rest.
A massive lineup of music at Beyond The Valley
As far as New Year’s options for music lovers go, Beyond The Valley has got to be our favourite way to send off the year that was – a boutique festival with a huge list of bands, all set in a beautiful lakeside nook in Victoria.
This year’s lineup is possibly the best yet, too, with two of the biggest names in hip hop in Schoolboy Q and Stormzy, some massive electronic acts like Mura Masa, Little Dragon, The Presets, Stephan Bodzin and 2MANYDJS, and a string of other great local and international names including Matt Corby, DMA’S, Cut Copy, Skegss, Crooked Colours, Meg Mac, San Cisco, The Belligerents, Sampa The Great, The Preatures… the list goes on.
If you just want to head out for NYE you can grab a pass for the day/night, or if you want to take it easy for a few days you can pick up a 2, 3 or 4-day camping ticket and get stuck into some great music and food. There are buses in and out of Melbourne as well, so if you’d rather not drive home on New Year’s Day, you’ll be all sweet.
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Not much of a camper? There’s lux VIP camping available if you want to treat yourself, and if you and your mates want to deck out your campsite with a massive stereo and a bunch of lasers, you can grab a powered campsite and set up your own mini club.
Beyond the Valley runs from December 28 through to January 1 in Lardner Park, just out of Melbourne, so check out the full lineup here and grab your tickets before they’re gone.
Origin NYE takes over Perth
Alright, so throughout the year, Perth often gets left out when it comes to gigs, but it definitely knows how to throw a massive NYE bash, with some of the biggest names in hip hop and EDM making the trip over.
Featuring acts like Baauer, DJ Snake, Kaytranada, and Tourist, you know you’re going to be in good hands this New Year’s Ever. Just make sure you don’t pack too much into this huge one-day event!
Frenzal Rhomb & The Bennies throw a party
If you had to name two of the biggest Aussie punk bands, who would they be? If you mentioned Frenzal Rhomb and The Bennies, then you are not only absolutely correct, but may have already bought tickets to one of the biggest punk nights this year.
Hitting up Melbourne’s Max Watt’s House Of Music on December 31st, Frenzal Rhomb and The Bennies are delivering one huge night of blistering punk tunes that will undoubtedly leave you sweaty and sore from the mosh pit you’ll no doubt be sucked into. Double headers like this don’t come around too often, so make sure you don’t sleep on this one!
Grinspoon promise the ‘Best Night Ever’
Okay, maybe this one isn’t quite on New Year’s Eve, but for some, a lineup of Grinspoon, British India, Eliza & The Delusionals and Voiid will be the highlight of the season, and they’ll be happy to have a quiet night in the next night.
Even though they’ve been on the road for most of the year for a 20th anniversary tour of their Guide To Better Living Debut, Grinspoon prove they’re not quite done for the year just yet, delivering what they’re calling their ‘Best Night Ever’ at the Gold Coast’s Nightquarter on December 30th.
A New Years Eve alternative to the Sydney foreshore
If you still want to head into the city for a bit of excitement but would rather catch some music than another fireworks show, NYE in the Park is a new mini-fest from the team who run the awesome Hot Dub Wine Machine tours, so you know it’ll be a fun gig.
The lineup is a nice mix of acts from party-starters like 2MANYDJS, Krafty Kuts and Hot Dub Time Machine, and some of our favourite locals like Total Giovanni, Running Touch and Vera Blue, all going down from 3pm to 1am on the 31st at Victoria Park.
Beyond the Valley 2017
December 28th, 2017 – January 1st, 2018
Lardner Park, Warragul, Victoria
Featuring:
ScHoolboy Q
The Presets
Matt Corby
Stormzy
Mura Masa
Little Dragon
Stephan Bodzin (live)
2MANY DJs (DJ Set)
plus…
Adana Twins
Âme (live)
Amy Shark
Andhim
The Belligerents
B.Traits
Crooked Colours
Cub Sport
Cut Copy
Dean Lewis
DMA’s
Dom Dolla
FKJ
GL
George Maple
Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda
Hayden James
Hot Dub Time Machine
Ivan Ooze
Jack River
Lastlings
Late Nite Tuff Guy
Marek Hemmann
Meg Mac
NAO
Patrick Topping
Pleasurekraft
The Preatures
Princess Nokia
Ruby Fields
Sampa The Great
San Cisco
Skegss
With more to be announced…
