In a bittersweet moment, Splendour's third and final day for 2023 has arrived. The weather stays true to form and the day is looking beautiful.
Royel Otis kick off at GW McLennan's sizeable crowd (23 July), screaming them into gear. Organ solos flow out over the smiling patrons. "We'll show 'em how to strut," frontman Royel Maddell sings, before demonstrating his best strut to loud cheers.At the Amphitheatre, Lastlings' electropop is just what we need to slide into the party mood. The music rises and falls, as frontwoman Amy Dowdle tenderly sings "I still miss your voice coming through the phone". The crowd dances energetically, and vibes are high.
Lastlings - image © Jared Hinz
Giant butterfly wings, a shiny gold suit and rainbow bodysuits are some outfit highlights. The set climaxes with Josh Dowdle playing a sleek black Strat. It is a stunning set, and a perfect appetiser for the day.
At Mix Up, Vallis Alps are stunningly beautiful, slipping into your soul sweetly. Grainy backing visuals overlay hypnotic beats, slowly building in intensity. "This is paradise," Parissa Tosif sings and the crowd is hitting the atmosphere.
Leaving the Mix Up, a huge, beautiful rainbow appears over the back of the festival.
Dune Rats - image © Jared Hinz
Dune Rats take to the Amphitheatre, setting it on fire. Giant inflatable beers and balloons abound, before The Angels, Ruby Fields and TOTTY all join for 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?'. It's a classic Splendour moment, and the crowd seemingly can't get much happier.
The campgrounds host over 15,000 campers and the mood is just as high as inside the festival. Games and mateship abound, speakers blare Shania Twain, and new friends are found among fellow festival goers.
Noah Cyrus takes GW McLennan by storm. Her tone is stunning, and the songs are heartfelt and real. A momentary rain shower presides, but ends before the set. Cyrus is a magical act worth seeing.
Back to the Amphitheatre, and Tove Lo knows what the crowd is ready for. She shakes her butt for 'Cool Girl', and cheekily flashes the crowd her breasts in 'Talking Body'. The crowd enjoys the sentiment with more than one patron sharing a kiss.
Lo performs her Like A Version ballad of Robyn's 'Dancing On My Own' and the theatre lights up. You remember exactly why you love music festivals; these memories will last a lifetime. 'Say It' goes off, before 'Habits (Stay High)' is dark and deep. The crowd is absolutely losing it.
Tove Lo - image © Jared Hinz
Where else could you go from here except to Thelma Plum at GW. She smiles as the crowd cheers to her singing: 'I'm not your baby anymore." Behind her on the screen, a velociraptor in a suit shakes his finger. Every crowd adores Plum.
"I just wanna keep telling you how happy I am," she shares. "This is so special to me. My grandma's here, my mum, my auntie." Thelma plays a new song for the first time live about sexual assault. "If it happened to me, it'll happen to her. We don't talk about it," she sings with the gravity she does so well.
"Please pretend I wrote this next song and just think 'wow it sounds like a hit'." Plum is playful, as she introduces her cover of Powderfinger's 'These Days'.
'Golden Touch' is so meaningful that there are many wet eyes in the house. Plum rocks side to side for 'Don't Let A Good Girl Down', before asking – "What do you think about these beautiful flowers?" that are arranged around the stage. 'Backseat Of My Mind' soars.
Thelma Plum - image © Jared Hinz
Plum is so unique and stunningly talented. Her inclusion is one of the miracles of the festival. In 'Homecoming Queen', she sings: "In 1967 I wasn't human. . . I am still here," and the crowd cheers loudly. A wonderful Splendour moment.
At Mix Up, Iann Dior comes out yelling "SPLENDOURRRRR!" followed by an Aussie chant. He is certainly here to play, and the crowd gets very wild. Back to the Amphitheatre where Hilltop Hoods do what they do best, taking Splendour to the next level. JK-47, JessB and ZPLUTO join for their set, and the female vocals are stunning.
'Nosebleed Section' comes on early to jump right in. Flames erupt high above the stage for 'I Love It', while lasers shoot out and skulls cross the screen for 'Rattling The Keys To The Kingdom'.
Surveying the crowd, numerous variations of festival goers are evident. Some come in big groups, swaying and laughing together, some come in twos or threes dancing energetically and some come alone, enjoying themselves just as much. Festivals really are the best place on earth.
The Hoods tell everyone to swing an item of clothing in the air for 'Cosby Sweater' and it's an all-time memorable moment. They just have it, as the Amphitheatre is absolutely pumping.
PNAU - image © Jared Hinz
At Mix Up, PNAU charge out dressed in light-up clothes with a lot of fluorescent neon and shiny grey. The moshpit is the most intense of the festival, and the dancing is hardcore.
Back to the Amphitheatre and a completely different vibe, Mumford & Sons have arrived to close out the 21st edition of Splendour In The Grass.
By hitting 'Little Lion Man' and 'The Cave' out of the park early, the set slowly builds to more rocky tunes. The band is slick and the harmonies tight. The show is really building. The band unconventionally exits and leaves a bare stage for two minutes. You get the sense they are leaving space intentionally.
They return and three members sing vocal harmonies around one microphone as Marcus Mumford strums a solitary guitar The tune is very low key, before the band move gently into 'Awake My Soul'. The song is a divine, spiritual experience.
Many eyes are wet, and despite the song being contrastingly low key comparative to the majority of the festival all day, no one is moving an inch, determined to stay and absorb every moment of this experience.
Mumford & Sons - image © Jared Hinz
'I Will Wait' closes the set, as the rolling hills of Splendour absorb once again the echo of 40,000 voices united in a moment in time.
Absolutely brilliant is how you could describe not only Mumford & Sons, but the entire festival.
In a spectacular return from last year, Splendour 2023 felt like it had it all. From old friends to new, the whole festival itself felt like one big family. How will we ever wait another 12 months to experience this again?
More photos from Day Three.
