2023 marks the 47th instalment of regional event Castlemaine State Festival, which offers a 17-day programme of live music, visual arts, theatre and discussion panels.
The biennial multi-arts celebration is held on the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung people, from 24 March to 9 April, showcasing local, national and internationally renowned artists.The music line-up is led by Melbourne's folk-pop '90s nostalgic duo Frente ('Accidently Kelly Street'), who last toured nationally in 2014, vocal powerhouse sister duo Via and Linda Ball, the AC/DC flavoured rock & roll of WA's The Southern River Band, psych lo-fi rockers Kurt Vile & The Violators, two-time Queensland Music Awards winner Jaguar Jonze, emerging alt-pop singer-songwriter (and home-town hero) Kian, and rock-pop indie queen Ella Hooper.
Other highlights of the music programme include Jem Cassar-Daley, Electric Fields & Dallas Woods, Alter Boy, Eliza Hull, Snog, and Mama Kin Spender.
"The exciting programme includes a vast range of free and ticketed events, and the establishment of a new Festival Precinct that will bring Castlemaine alive with contemporary and classical music, performance, dialogues, cabaret, circus, comedy, and DJs to entertain," shares event organisers.
Castlemaine State Festival's Dialogues programme returns with thought-provoking discourse from some of the country's finest thinkers and personalities including Vika and Linda Bull, Alice Zaslavsky, Lea McInerney, Ali Cobby Eckerman, Nigel Marsh, Thomas Mayo, Catherine Liddle, Clive Hamilton, Brian Walters QC, Jacinta Parsons, Paul Biegler, Dr Alyssa Vass, Abram Goldberg, Fiona Harris, Matthew Evans, Sue Smethurst and Kristine Ziwica.
Theatre and performance highlights will include Gravity and Other Myths – A Simple Space, Qwerin, Maloya Moshpit; The Planting: Alex Kelly, Lawrence Harvey and David Pledger; Night Walks with Teenagers; Dirty Laundry; Brat Kids Carnival; End of Winter; I Am Woman; 27 Club: The Music that Never Died; Pillow Fight - The Anchor; Parallax; Macbeth; Black Cat; Brenda Blessed; Soggy; Moist; and Move with Me – CreateA.
Visual arts will be represented with exhibitions including For the Love of Song: David Frazer with Kelly; Walker, Cave, Lowe and Waits; David Rosetzky: Air to Atmosphere; Damon Kowarsky exhibition and workshops; Open Studios Group exhibition; and Essays on Earth - Brodie Ellis in collaboration with John Wolseley & Paul Kane: On Land.
Tickets are on sale.
Castlemaine State Festival runs from 24 March to 9 April in Castlemaine (Victoria).
Castlemaine State Festival 2023 Line-Up
MUSIC
FrenteVika and Linda Bull
The Southern River Band
Jaguar Jonze
Kurt Vile and The Violators
Kian
Ella Hooper
Jem Cassar-Daley
The Gesualdo Six
Electric Fields and Dallas Woods
Alter Boy
Lizzy Welsh and Bendigo Symphony Orchestra
Eliza Hull and Liz Martin
Snog
The Dolly Parton Experience with Vanessa & The Jealous Guys
Mama Kin Spender
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
Tenzin Choegyal and Katherine Philp
Rose Riebl
Sophie Rowell and the Australian National Academy of Music
Salon Series with Angie Hart, Jem Cassar-Daley, Sophie Rowell, Rose Riebl, and Katherine Philp
DIALOGUES PROGRAMME
Vika and Linda BullAlice Zaslavsky
Lea McInerney
Ali Cobby Eckerman
Nigel Marsh
Thomas Mayo
Catherine Liddle
Clive Hamilton
Brian Walters QC
Jacinta Parsons
Paul Biegler
Dr Alyssa Vass
Abram Goldberg
Fiona Harris
Matthew Evans
Sue Smethurst
Kristine Ziwica
THEATRE & PERFORMANCE
Gravity and Other Myths – A Simple SpaceQwerin
Maloya Moshpit
The Planting: Alex Kelly
Lawrence Harvey and David Pledger
Night Walks with Teenagers
Dirty Laundry
Brat Kids Carnival
End of Winter
I Am Woman
27 Club: The Music that Never Died
Pillow Fight - The Anchor
Parallax
Macbeth
Black Cat
Brenda Blessed
Soggy
Moist and Move with Me – CreateA
VISUAL ART
For the Love of Song: David Frazer with KellyWalker, Cave, Lowe and Waits
David Rosetzky: Air to Atmosphere
Damon Kowarsky exhibition and workshops
Open Studios Group exhibition
Essays on Earth - Brodie Ellis in collaboration with John Wolseley & Paul Kane: On Land
