Expect an eclectic line up of live music, entertainment, art, street dancing and more at Open Street Festival. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
The line-up for Port Kembla’s Open Street Festival has landed, and it’s a cracker, with artists Mat McHugh (The Beautiful Girls), The Strides, Azure Ryder, Frank Sultana, Ile Ilu and more on the main stage.
The free community event held on the October long weekend is presented by Wollongong City Council, supported by the Port Kembla Chamber of Commerce and made possible by funding provided by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program, which aims to bring streets to life by encouraging people to stay longer and enjoy the local goods, services and activities.
On the day, a section of Wentworth Street will be closed to create a temporary space for markets, outdoor dining, installations, performances and music from the live line-up as well as a schedule of vinyl and electronic DJs.
Expect everything from street dancing to face painting, comedy and magic shows, roving puppetry and an art exhibition from Red Point Artists Association. At the markets, you’ll be able to pick up anything from collectibles and boutique items to locally made art and products.
At twilight, visitors will be treated to visual effects and projections at various locations along the street.
Robbie Gyngell from Circadia says the band is thrilled to take part in the event.
“We’re super pumped – any opportunity to play at a festival is exciting but especially one like this, which is for all ages and super inclusive, and includes such an eclectic line-up,” he says.
“We’re looking forward to performing and then, once the pressure is off, enjoying the hell out of the rest of the event.”
The Dharawal-based collective billed as “reshaping the alt-rock soundscape with influences from jazz, soul, funk and good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll” will bring an almost all-new set to the festival.
“For a while there, it did feel like we were playing the same kinds of sets, but we’ve moved into our new digs and have had the time over the past few years to really polish and refine our sound and lean into what we’re about,” Robbie says.
“It should be almost a whole new set even for people who’ve seen us before.”
Port Kembla Chamber of Commerce president Greg Rogers said the festival was a welcome addition to an already strong schedule of regular events showcasing the growing drawcards of the vibrant coastal suburb.
“The Port Kembla Festival, Wonderwalls and Fearfest, and they attract anywhere between 1500 and 2000-plus visitors to the suburb, with people travelling from Sydney and the Far South Coast,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Open Street Festival topped that.”
Wollongong City Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery AM said the collaboration would serve as an opportunity for visitors to “check out the town’s thriving cultural, artistic, and business community”.
“Port Kembla is famously a multicultural and vibrantly diverse community located among the iconic backdrop of the steelworks and port,” he said.
Open Street Festival takes place on Saturday, 5 October, 2024, from 1 pm to 10 pm in Westworth Street, Port Kembla.
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