Darebin Music Feast Opening Party

Taking place over 8 days from 20–27 October, the 23rd annual Darebin Music Feast will encompass 85 events across 20 different venues, thoughtfully curated to showcase a swathe of artists and musicians who represent and reflect the rich and culturally diverse community of Darebin.

"I'm so thrilled with what's on offer in 2019," says Mayor Rennie. "This year's program is bold, rich and enticing, and continues the focus on diversity, collaboration and celebration that Darebin Music Feast has become known for."

Underpinning the curation of this year's program is a commitment to welcoming and celebrating music makers and lovers of all ages. Over half of the events in the 2019 program are free to attend and nearly a third are open to people of all ages, including the major opening and closing events. As in 2018, attention has been given to ensuring broad representation within the cohort of curated artists, across gender, ethnicity and age.

The Feast will kick off on 20 October with a massive outdoor Opening Party, featuring 15 acts across three stages. Mirroring last year's hugely successful Closing Party, it'll be all ages, all day and free entry, with a stellar line-up including Alice Skye, Emma Donovan and The Putbacks, Huntly, Jess Ribeiro, Kee'ahn, Raw Humps, Rebel Yell, The Goon Sax, Tiana Khasi, U-Bahn and more!

The Feast for Families program will feature Sounds Exquisite, an interactive sound installation made by Darebin primary school students in collaboration with local arts organisation Playable Streets. Families can drop in to the Keon Park Children's Hub at any time Monday to Friday to interact with the artwork, or head down on Sunday 27 October for the finale event hosted by some of the creators from Playable Streets.

The annual Darebin Music Feast Songwriters' Award Grand Final returns to Northcote Town Hall on 24 October. One of ten local finalists will take home a prize package of $2000 cash, studio time and more.

As always, Darebin Live guarantees something for everyone with a week-long, back-to-back program of gigs across Darebin's prestigious music venues. Showcasing an incredible breadth of styles, from punk, alt-rock, indie and folk to jazz, electro and soul, Darebin Live sees community music groups and emerging local talent perform alongside touring national acts.

The hugely successful Event Producer Mentorship program AMPLIFY also returns, this year with a focus on young producers aged 16-25. The 2019 mentorship was awarded to Acacia Coates and Winnie McQuinn, who under the guidance of Woody McDonald have curated Green Noise, an event inspired by sustainable initiatives in the music industry, youth climate strikes and growing environmental activism. Their carefully curated line-up features Jade Imagine, Elizabeth, Empat Lima and The Vovos – all chosen for their passion for and promotion of sustainable practices. A free, all ages event, Green Noise will take place on 27 October, closing out this year's program with a bang.

For the full 2019 Darebin Music Feast lineup and event details, visit www.musicfeast.com.au