The countdown to Splendour in the Grass 2016 has begun with another stunning line-up of some of the world’s best bands set to blaze across four stages at this year’s festival, writes Georgina Bible.
Organisers of the 16th annual Splendour in the Grass have dropped another world class line-up of music on North Byron Parklands, with some of the biggest legends of the past four decades set to headline this year’s festival.
The Cure, The Strokes, Mark Lanegan, Sigur Ros, The Kills, Band of Horses, James Blake, Santigold, Jake Bugg, and the recently reunited At The Drive-In lead a stellar cast.
On the Australian front, The Avalanches, Flume, Courtney Barnett, Boy & Bear, Ngaiire, Violent Soho, Hermitude, Matt Corby, The Preatures, Gang of Youths, Sticky Fingers, Illy, Ball Park Music and DMA’s are set to play and to mark the 10 year anniversary of the passing of Grant McLennan, Robert Forster will perform in the GW McLennan Tent.
Matt Corby – returning to headline at Splendour 2016.
In all over 100 acts will perform over three days across the Amphitheatre, GW McLennan tent, Mix Up and Tiny Dancer stages. Splendour in the Grass co-producers, Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco, says the 2016 roll-call is one of the most diverse to date.
“We’re very happy with the way that the line-up came together this year. Alongside major international acts like The Cure, The Strokes and At The Drive In we are super excited to see both Flume and Matt Corby returning as headliners this year. We also love to support emerging artists and this year there are some incredible new acts to check out – Kacy Hill, Gold Class, Jess Kent and local Byron band PLTS to name just a few,” says Ducrou.
One of their greatest coups was scoring The Avalanches in their only Australian show and hot on the heels of their new release of Wildflower – their first album in 16 years.
“Paul and I are both huge fans of The Avalanches and we’ve asked them to play at Splendour pretty much every year since we started the festival. This year, to our absolute surprise, they said ‘yes’. We’re beyond excited that we’ll have them exclusively at Splendour In The Grass 2016,” says Ducrou.
The Avalanches – “We’ve asked them to play pretty much every year…and this year they said ‘yes’.”
But Splendour isn’t only about great music, each year the festival hosts an arts and cultural program that showcases some of the world’s greatest artists. Curated by internationally exhibited artist Craig Walsh, Splendour Arts 2016 will feature six major pieces across the event site. Expect intoxicating video art, mysterious communities and miraculous inflatable houses.
“We’re really interested in introducing new art forms to the Splendour experience. Establishing a new outdoor space to present and profile significant video artists is the latest addition. What better way to launch this space, than presenting the work of Shaun Gladwell, one of Australia’s most significant contemporary video artists,” says Walsh.
Shaun Gladwell’s contemporary video art will be on show at Splendour.
Don’t forget – the natural law that presides over Byron Shire which decrees rain shall fall on music festivals is likely to muddy the rolling green hills of North Byron Parklands at some point over the three days – so bring your gumboots.
SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2016
Friday 22 July, Saturday 23 July and Sunday 24 July
North Byron Parklands
Tweed Valley Way, Wooyung (15 mins north of Byron Bay)
splendourinthegrass.com
THE STROKES (ONLY AUS SHOW) • THE CURE • FLUME • THE AVALANCHES (ONLY AUS SHOW) • JAMES BLAKE • AT THE DRIVE-IN • VIOLENT SOHO • HERMITUDE • BAND OF HORSES • SIGUR RÓS (ONLY AUS SHOW) • SANTIGOLD • MATT CORBY • STICKY FINGERS • BOY & BEAR • JAKE BUGG • THE 1975 • LEON BRIDGES • DUKE DUMONT (DJ SET) • JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW (ONLY AUS SHOW) • COURTNEY BARNETT • THE KILLS • THE PREATURES • WHAT SO NOT • YEARS AND YEARS • GANG OF YOUTHS • ILLY • PETER BJORN & JOHN • GOLDEN FEATURES • CRYSTAL FIGHTERS • BALL PARK MUSIC • TEGAN & SARA • DMA’S • HAYDEN JAMES • CITY CALM DOWN • SNAKEHIPS • MARK LANEGAN • MICHAEL KIWANUKA • JAGWAR MA • JACK GARRATT • KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD • THE JUNGLE GIANTS • THE INTERNET • MOTEZ • MARLON WILLIAMS & THE YARRA BENDERS • LIDO • EMMA LOUISE • KIM CHURCHILL • NOTHING BUT THIEVES • LÅPSLEY • KACY HILL • SLUMBERJACK • ROBERT FORSTER (10 YEARS ON) • BEACH SLANG • URTHBOY • LITTLE MAY • BOO SEEKA • GANZ • SPRING KING • MELBOURNE SKA ORCHESTRA • FAT WHITE FAMILY • TOTAL GIOVANNI • METHYL ETHEL • SLUM SOCIABLE • L D R U • IN LOVING MEMORY OF SZYMON • BLOSSOMS • HIGH TENSION • ROLAND TINGS • SAMPA THE GREAT • THE WILD FEATHERS • HARTS • NGAIIRE • MONTAIGNE • TIRED LION • GREEN BUZZARD • JESS KENT • GOLD CLASS • LUCY CLICHÉ • OPIUO • MALL GRAB • DOM DOLLA • PACES • JUST A GENT • DRO CAREY • RUNNING TOUCH • WAFIA • WORLD CHAMPION • SUI ZHEN • REMI • NICOLE MILLAR • DRELLER • FEKI • KLLO • BANOFFEE • TRIPLE J UNEARTHED WINNERS PLUS MOONBASE COMMANDER • THE MEETING TREE • TWINSY • PURPLE SNEAKERS DJS • HUMAN MOVEMENT • PLANÈTE • SWICK • AMATEUR DANCE • RIBONGIA
