Just under a month away from music festival Yours & Owls (17-18 April), the Wollongong event has upgraded their venue, unveiled their COVID-safe footprint and added indie legends Dope Lemon to the bill.
"We want to thank everyone for their patience and support this past year," promoter Ben Tillman says."It's been one hell of a roller coaster ride. We are really thankful that we have been given the opportunity to bring you one of the only major festival events in the country since COVID hit. Without the support of our patrons, staff, stakeholders and industry, this would have been an impossible task.
"Our approval is the first step for our industry, we still have a long way to go to get back to the thriving live music scene we once knew.
"This year's event is probably one of the most important we have staged, it is the first step in establishing that festivals can be run safely in NSW, so we need our patrons support to help open the door for a return of mass live music gatherings.
"We are working hard to make this the best experience possible and can’t wait to share it with you."
Part of the 2021 look of Yours & Owls will be two revolving stages, with the site split into four separate zones (yellow, purple, blue and peach) to mitigate the risk of COVID.
Ticket holders have seven days from today to submit a request for their preferred zone via the Zone Preference Form (Moshtix and Festicket).
The event has also been moved to the larger Thomas Dalton Park (only two minutes from the traditional festival site Stuart Park) to accommodate the COVID-safe footprint.
A handful of promoter holds tickets have been released to the general public, but these won't last long.
Yours & Owls takes place at Thomas Dalton Park (Wollongong) 17-18 April.
Statement from Yours & Owls:
'This year we have a whole lotta housekeeping we need to go through before ya’ll arrive. Our 2021 event is going to roll a little different to previous years, but let’s face it, anything will be better than last year (LOL)! And not many people get to say they went to a music festival in the middle of a global pandemic, so let’s thank our lucky stars and do this!
'We are stoked to be one of two major music festivals in NSW to get approval to go ahead thanks to our rigorous planning and can’t wait to share this, hopefully once in a lifetime experience with you guys!
'First up, due to the border restrictions NZ indie-pop sensation BENEE and Dunedin genre-defying MC Wax Mustang are no longer able to make it. The soothing summer sounds of local favs Dope Lemon and Brisbane producer, rapper extraordinaire Nerve will step in to fill those respective slots. Also check out the line-up splits as we have made a few changes to who is playing when.
'We have been working extra hard developing a mega COVID safety play book to ensure you are all well looked after while you party. To accommodate our COVID safe footprint, we have moved to a larger site, another beautiful green space in Wollongong Dalton Park, two mins down the road from our spiritual home of Stuart Park!
'In an Australian first, we will be rolling out a revolving stage format with not one, but TWO revolving stages, record players and Lazy Susans, all your fav artists are ready to spin!
'The site will be split into four separate zones to reduce risk, with the revolving stages smack bang in the middle. All festival patrons will have perfect view of the main stages from every zone. A state-of-the-art PA will ensure perfect sound to every corner of the site, and large LED screens will provide flawless close ups on your beloved acts. This will be the biggest production set up Yours and Owls has ever presented in the Gong!
'Each zone will be self-contained with its own entry and exits, a smaller stage giving a secondary space to consume music, main bar, cocktail bar, dining area, hand-picked food stalls, toilets, water refill stations, phone charging, merch stores, hand sanitising stations and friendly COVID safety marshals to answer all of your questions when you arrive.'
'This year we have a whole lotta housekeeping we need to go through before ya’ll arrive. Our 2021 event is going to roll a little different to previous years, but let’s face it, anything will be better than last year (LOL)! And not many people get to say they went to a music festival in the middle of a global pandemic, so let’s thank our lucky stars and do this!
'We are stoked to be one of two major music festivals in NSW to get approval to go ahead thanks to our rigorous planning and can’t wait to share this, hopefully once in a lifetime experience with you guys!
'First up, due to the border restrictions NZ indie-pop sensation BENEE and Dunedin genre-defying MC Wax Mustang are no longer able to make it. The soothing summer sounds of local favs Dope Lemon and Brisbane producer, rapper extraordinaire Nerve will step in to fill those respective slots. Also check out the line-up splits as we have made a few changes to who is playing when.
'We have been working extra hard developing a mega COVID safety play book to ensure you are all well looked after while you party. To accommodate our COVID safe footprint, we have moved to a larger site, another beautiful green space in Wollongong Dalton Park, two mins down the road from our spiritual home of Stuart Park!
'In an Australian first, we will be rolling out a revolving stage format with not one, but TWO revolving stages, record players and Lazy Susans, all your fav artists are ready to spin!
'The site will be split into four separate zones to reduce risk, with the revolving stages smack bang in the middle. All festival patrons will have perfect view of the main stages from every zone. A state-of-the-art PA will ensure perfect sound to every corner of the site, and large LED screens will provide flawless close ups on your beloved acts. This will be the biggest production set up Yours and Owls has ever presented in the Gong!
'Each zone will be self-contained with its own entry and exits, a smaller stage giving a secondary space to consume music, main bar, cocktail bar, dining area, hand-picked food stalls, toilets, water refill stations, phone charging, merch stores, hand sanitising stations and friendly COVID safety marshals to answer all of your questions when you arrive.'
