Brisbane’s biggest street party, Valley Fiesta, returned for another year at the weekend.
Every year for three days, the streets of Fortitude Valley transform into a music-lover’s haven, offering live acts on multiple stage all around the precinct, as well as day markets, fashion parades and a generally, groovy atmosphere to move about in. With a line-up including Alpine, Last Dinosaurs, The Jensens and Baskervillain, this year promised great things, and certainly delivered.
Click here for Day One photos.
One of the ultimate perks of a festival like this, is the people it attracts. Traipse over towards the Valley on a regular Friday or Saturday night, and you will find a variety of different demographics mooching around, albeit in smaller number.
Image © Zoe RussellOn the Fiesta weekend, however, everyone is out in force – younger kids (getting their kicks on thanks to the legends who decided the Fiesta should be all-ages), mixing with older kids, mixing with even older kids (because tonight, we’re all kids here).
The beauty of having stages out under the big night sky rather than in venues makes it a thousand times easier to move around and pick-out things you want to see, and the design ensured there wasn't much sound bleed from one stage to another, despite their proximity.
Image © Zoe RussellUnfortunately, this year’s Fiesta clashed with another all-ages festival. The End Of The Line Festival was making people dance in the streets of Woolloongabba on the Saturday – the clash seemed to make people question ‘should I stay, or should I go’. Ultimately, it seems a lot of people chose to stick around 'Gabba in the daytime and then make their way across the river for the night, a plan which worked perfectly since Fiesta set-times did not kick off until mid-afternoon.
The last Saturday night slot is always the drawcard, and the organisers had big shoes to fill this year, with previous hothouse acts The Preatures, Flume and Architecture in Helsinki all providing the tunes to dance away the night in previous years, so hopes were high for 2015.
Alpine - image © Zoe RussellMelbourne’s sugar pop group Alpine were chosen to end the night with a bang, and the crowd certainly responded to their energy. In fact, and this is one of my favourite parts of Fiesta, the collective energy was so strong that, despite my rather apathetic views towards Alpine, I still enjoyed myself enormously, simply from vibing off those around me.
Image © Zoe RussellEveryone was having a good time, and whether you found that good time in the performers themselves or the people around you no longer seemed to matter, the two fed off each other to create an atmosphere that all could enjoy, music lover or not.
Image © Zoe RussellGreat performances came from the consistently mind-blowing Baskervillain, who deserved something better than an early afternoon slot, and The Jensens, who make some very smart music. The tech heads could get more than their fix too, with Joey Da Rin (Young Franco) and Art Vs Science playing back-to-back on the Saturday afternoon, and Asta’s explosive pop music kicking off the night-time sets.
Click here for Day Two photos.
Local food joints also got in on the act, with the food markets a-happenin’ 'round in Chinatown mall. Hey-Ya Bar, The Flying Cock and Beach Burrito were among those cooking-up a storm, and although there were not an awful lot of vegan options (except in the form of a Five Dogs vegan dog, bless their little hearts), it smelt absolutely banging, and was the perfect little getaway if the crowds started getting too much.
All in all, another groovy year on the streets of Fortitude Valley. So congrats, Valley Fiesta! You guys have got a spot-on recipe for a good time, and it always seems to work, every year. Everyone has a boogie, everyone goes home happy.
Image © Zoe Russell 
