When you first step into the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, it feels a little like crossing into another dimension. That's the strange magic of Golden Plains.
Over the course of a weekend, thousands of strangers assemble into a temporary constellation; a living, breathing kaleidoscope of dancers, dreamers and devoted music lovers held together by one, simple philosophy: the festival's famously welcoming No Dickheads Policy.
The transformation of these iconic grounds felt vibrantly vivid (7-9 March). Colours shimmered across the grassy bowl of the amphitheatre; filtered with mirrored sunglasses catching the afternoon sun, glittered cheeks flashing through the crowd, flags and costumes drifting through warm currents of dust and light. Every movement refracted the moment into something new.
This year's eighteenth edition arrived under warm skies and soft, golden afternoons, the kind of weather that encourages long meandering hours sprawled across the hillside.
Image © Ben Fletcher
As always, the weekend opened with ceremony and respect. A Wadawurrung Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country grounded the gathering in connection to land we stood on. Smoke drifted across the bowl as the crowd fell into a moment of stillness.
Then came Nolesy's long blink, the small but powerful signal that Golden Plains had officially begun. A ripple of cheers swept across the couch-filled hillside, and just like that, the kaleidoscope began to turn.
The Sup was stirring to life as the first bands took to the stage. Public Figures delivered a burst of wiry indie rock that sent the first ripples of dancing through the colourful crowd, before the afternoon softened into a dreamy stretch of soulful vocals and sun-soaked melodies.
By mid-afternoon the hillside had transformed into Golden Plains' unofficial living room with a sprawling sea of couches, vintage armchairs and inflatable lounges scattered across the grass as groups settled in for the long musical journey ahead.
Image © Ben Fletcher
Unlike most festivals where space is tightly controlled, Golden Plains embraces this strange and wonderful tradition. Sofas arrive strapped to roof racks, dragged through gates and lovingly positioned across the Sup, turning the hillside into the most comfortable dance floor in Australia.
As the sun dipped lower, delicate electronic textures waved through the air, the crowd settling into a dreamy dusk moment. New York experimental pop duo Water From Your Eyes flowed into something slightly stranger, their warped blend of melody and sound shimmered through the warm air.
Soon enough the mood flipped, with British-Nigerian artist Obongjayar delivering one of the weekend's most striking vocal performances. His voice seemed to stretch and bend across emotional extremes; delicate falsetto one moment, thunderous intensity the next.
It was an epic display of vocal power and a sign that the evening ahead would belong to some truly extraordinary voices.
One of the weekend's most moving moments arrived with Marlon Williams and The Yarra Benders with Ngā Mātai Pūrua. Magical Marlon has a voice that feels both ancient and intimate, capable of filling enormous spaces with enigmatic emotion.
Marlon Williams - image © Leah Hulst
Backed by the powerful harmonies of kapa haka group Ngā Mātai Pūrua, the set took on an almost ceremonial gravity. It felt like we were in the presence of royalty.
Marlon carried himself with the ease of a velvet serenader and the depth of a spiritual storyteller. Gliding across the stage as the incredible rich harmonies rose behind him, with every person in the crowd up off their couches in awe of this performance, songs like 'My Boy' and 'Dark Child' swelled into something felt both deeply personal and beautifully communal.
As the evening deepened, it became clear we were witnessing a celebration of the human voice. Rich, soulful vocals electrified the atmosphere, each performance drawing us all deeper into the dream-state of sound.
Image © Leah Hulst
With anticipation buzzing for BADBADNOTGOOD, we found ourselves getting pulled further into the beaming crowd. Across the hillside, a sea of themed doof-sticks bobbed above the crowd: from fishing rods, glowing kaleidoscopic designs and even a dangling cooked-chook bag. It was a perfect snapshot of playful creativity, where the weird and wonderful took stick form.
As the trio stepped into the glow of the stage lights, a ripple of anticipation moved across the hillside. BADBADNOTGOOD eased us all into a sensational sonic journey, dissolving the boundaries between jazz, hip hop and cinematic soundscapes. Opening grooves stretched into hypnotic improvisations, each musician responding instinctively to the others.
Tracks like 'Time Moves Slow' and 'Lavender' sparked some shoes in the air (a festival tradition to claim a track as your favourite song of the weekend). It was the fluid conversation between piano, bass and drums that held the gleaming crowd spellbound.
Cut Copy - image © Benjamin Fletcher
Then came a shimmering moment of collective nostalgia. As Australian electronic favourites Cut Copy stepped onto the stage to a roar of recognition as the opening synth pulse of 'Lights & Music' rang out across the amphitheatre.
What followed felt like a shared memory unfolding in real time. Frontman Dan Whitford led the band through a glowing catalogue of indie-dance classics; from 'Hearts On Fire' to my personal favourite 'Take Me Over', and of course the euphoric rush of
'Need You Now'.
Under the night sky, the Sup transformed into a vigorous and vast open-air dance floor. Thousands of bodies moved together in waves, every chorus echoing back toward the stage. For a moment, it felt like the entire amphitheatre was spinning inside the same prism of light and sound.
As the night stretched deeper into the early hours, the energy refused to slow down. The euphoric chaos of Frost Children pushed the energy even further, their hyper-pop mayhem igniting constellations of dancing.
With laughter and late-night shenanigans still kicking on long after midnight, the electricity of Golden Plains had transported us all into its colourful universe.
Frost Children - image © Chip Mooney
Sunday morning arrived slowly, as dusty-eyed festival goers wandered toward their first well-earned coffee. Clusters of friends sat in the grass swapping stories from the night before; from half-remembered dance-floor moments, hilarious adventures and the kind of mischief that Golden Plains holds.
As we all gently stirred back to life, we flocked to the couches for story time with Uncle Barry, whose encapsulating storytelling of the tale of the Three Sisters created a quiet moment of reflection that grounded the morning in culture and connection to Country.
After a much-needed refresh, the amphitheatre began to buzz with energy again as people drifted back toward the stage. One by one, groups appeared in their Sunday best; full-costume ensembles of just about every creature imaginable wandered through the grassy playground, a joyful parade dripping in wonderfully silly creativity.
Image © Leah Hulst
We were well and truly back-in-action as Atlanta punk group, Upchuck, took to the stage with their ferocious set. Their explosive track 'Freaky' sparked the day's energy with a punchy punky hit.
Followed by Derya Yıldırım & Grup Şimşek, the Berlin-based Turkish psychedelic group, eased the afternoon into a hypnotic groove, their swirling rhythms drifting across the now pumping crowd as more people swirled into the outdoor lounge.
DEVAURA then lit up the stage with an irresistibly playful energy, brimming with cheeky charisma, she bounced effortlessly between powerful vocals and playful crowd moments.
With a powerful voice and electric presence, she kept us all grinning from start to finish as she sang into her floral microphone. Standout tracks like 'Vertigo' and 'Shapeshifter' landed particularly well, their bold sound amplifying the playful chaos of the set.
Upchuck - image © Leah Hulst
In between tracks, in a delightfully playful manner, she took a moment to lead an impromptu happy birthday serenade to anyone in the crowd whose special day was "close enough", sending laughter rippling across tickled fans. It was a joyful, high-voltage performance that had anyone listening completely hooked.
Between sets, the festival's interstitial DJs worked their magic, stitching together tracks that kept Meredith's grassy bowl gently pulsing with playful energy. That groove flowed effortlessly into François K's live stems set, his hypnotic layers of rhythm drawing the crowd deeper into dance.
The evening unfolded through a kaleidoscope of sound as the acts of stage moved between genres with effortless momentum; a testament to the incredible curation that Golden Plains is known for.
From Bleak Squad's gritty rap and booming bass that came with jolting electricity to rich, soulful vocals of Jalen Ngonda, whose set had us all swaying on couches as we soaked up the weird and wonderful sights of people playing throughout the arena.
Jalen Ngonda - image © Benjamin Fletcher
As Ty Segall stormed the stage with a blast of dripping and drenched guitar waves, backed by pounding rhythms. Tracks like 'Manipulator' jolted the crowd into full-throttle chaos, perfectly timed for what was about to come.
You could feel the energy building as we were being lifted into an ecstatic state, each BPM increase preparing us for one of the most iconic acts of the weekend.
As the night pushed deeper, the lit-up playground hummed with anticipation. Groups gathered closer to the stage, sensing something big on the horizon. It felt like everybody at the festival was teeming to witness Basement Jaxx as they delivered a headline performance that felt like a joyous explosion of dance music history.
From the moment the first beat dropped, the amphitheatre erupted. The legendary UK duo had brought a full carnival of energy: dancers, vocalists and pulsing visuals turned the stage into a riot of colour and rhythm.
Going from hit to hit, every new song played sounding more nostalgic and electric. Anthems like 'Raindrops', 'Romeo' and 'Red Alert' had everyone jumping and dancing like their hearts depended on it (safe to say, there were plenty of shoes in the air during this set).
What made the set so special wasn't just the iconic songs, it was the sense of true elevation as thousands of people moved without inhibition, surrendering to the rhythm together.
Basement Jaxx - image © Chip Mooney
Throughout the set they playfully reimagined their own music, layering fresh sounds and new rhythms over beloved tracks while keeping the unmistakable spirit of the originals intact.
Closing with their unstoppable song 'Where's Your Head At', which detonated across the crowd, each echo of the lyrics sent fresh waves of ecstatic movement through the spinning prism of bodies.
As we staggered back to the couches, in a slight state of shock after that highlight-reel-of-life type of performance, all around you could see smiles and delight on everyone's faces.
However, the night wasn't over yet. The party rolled effortlessly into the early hours with Crazy P and Sally C taking the reins. Disco grooves and punchy house rhythms rippled through the dance floor as bodies continued to move long after midnight, the crowd glowing with late-night energy.
Euphoria washed over us all as we grooved together beneath the stars, refusing to let the night end. By sunrise, the pace had softened. People wandered slowly through the campground wrapped in blankets and morning light, the kaleidoscope gradually slowing its spin.
Over the weekend, the Meredith grounds had transformed into a universe of its own; a living mosaic of music, costumes, laughter and connection. A place where genres collided, strangers danced together, and imagination ran wild.
Image © Benjamin Fletcher
A reminder that festivals like this are about more than music. They're about the fleeting, beautiful moments that happen when thousands of people gather together and let the magic unfold.
As festival goers packed up their couches, costumes and doof-sticks on Monday morning, one thing felt certain: the magic of Golden Plains will keep drawing people back, year after year (this reviewer included).
