WinterWild showcases the untamed beauty of Apollo Bay with music, art, food and fire

25–27 August 2023

Witness the dark mystery of the Otways with three days of music, art, food and fire at WinterWild, taking place on Gadubanud Country in Apollo Bay on the last weekend of winter, 25–27 August. Expect performances from satanic collective Dane Blacklock & the Preacher's Daughter, the formidable Jen Cloher, Harvey Sutherland and rapper RidzyRay, as well as an exciting line-up of art, winter feasts, masterclasses and much more. 

WinterWild sees thousands of revellers gather in Apollo Bay every August, encircled by turbulent seas and majestic rainforests, to eat, drink, dance and embrace the dark beauty of winter. Program highlights include:

Friday 25 August

The 2023 festival opens with a Welcome to Country from Eastern Marr Aboriginal Corporation, followed by free performances from Wemba-Wemba rapper RidzyRay and other contemporary First Nations artists.

The music continues at the Apollo Bay Mechanics Institute Hall with Ngāpuhi & Ngāti Kahu songwriter and performer Jen Cloher, whose taut, terse brand of rock is charged with the static tension that comes with being an eternal misfit. Jen will be supported by disco-infused space-pop project Zoë Fox and the Rocket Clocks, Apollo Bay's beloved singer songwriter Sid O'Neil, and the soulful vocals of local indie-jazz five-piece band Outtatime.

The Great Ocean Road Brewhouse will stage a night of free music with '80s legends Inked Factor, re-formed and travelling down the coast to play their distinctive blend of post-punk and prog-surf rock.

The Wild Feast at the Apollo Bay Foreshore is a chance to rug up and share a meal around roaring fire pits alongside the ocean. There'll be pans of paella laden with vegetables, low-and-slow smoked meats, fresh pasta, famous local seafood and more. Warm your hands with a mulled wine, and choose from a range of local craft beers from Otway brewers Prickly Moses and cocktails from the Apollo Bay Gin Distillery. Leslie D. King and the Trembling Shakes will bring some soul-soaked rock'n'roll, joined by some very special guests. Stay after sunset to witness the festival's signature outdoor performance, The DogWatch. 

Fuel up at the Great Ocean Road Brewhouse with a Low and Slow BBQ Masterclass. This day-long workshop will cover BBQ cooking methods, fire and temperature management, trimming of meats and immersive cooking demonstrations. Indulge in brisket, lamb shoulder, pork ribs, reverse-seared steak and more.

Mark Kluwer, trained under Wim Hof, will lead ice bathing and breath workshops to help light a fire within, and local practitioner Dani Cullen will run her famously healing qigong classes in the fresh ocean air. 

Dane Blacklock & the Preacher's Daughter headline a night of music at the Apollo Bay Mechanics Institute Hall. In this decidedly wicked aural and visual extravaganza, audiences will surrender to the desires of the flesh with Australia's premiere satanic gospel experience. They will be supported by s p o r e s  who will perform a blend of lazy disco, spectres of doom, and noise punk. Dive down the rabbit hole of dirty and hypnotic heavy riffs covered in fuzz, dreamy licks, dirty bass and driving drumbeats from Otways psychedelic trio MELT. 

Say a bittersweet farewell to winter at MoonGarden at the Apollo Bay Sailing Club. Dance under a blanket of stars by a raging ocean, with some of Australia's best alternative electronic artists. Headlined by Harvey Sutherland (DJ Set), with Milo Eastwood and Post Percy. 

Sunday 27 August

Dawn Chorus: The Midnight Horrors is a surreal tour of the birds of Apollo Bay (living, dead, mythological, and extinct); at dawn. Begin the day with The Midnight Horrors, as they lead an arcane and entirely un-educational bird walk through the town.