Good news, everyone. South Eveleigh Solstice Festival is happening this month, so prepare your body for a two-day event jam-packed with live music, art performance, art, installations, and some of the best food & drinks in town. Oh, and did I mention entry is completely free? Love that for us.
The festival will take place on the 18th and 19th of June, in time to celebrate the solstice, obvs, but it will also be celebrating so much more. The two-day event will mark a complete rejuvenation of a site that was once home to a collection of railway sheds and well, not much else. Now though, the area has been transformed, with its heritage buildings having been tenderly restored, turning South Eveleigh’s Locomotive Street — located just a short stroll from Redfern Station — into quite the decent dining and drinking spot. A lovely little up and coming cultural hub, if you will.
The festival will see what was once a 139-year-old Locomotive workshop transformed into a live music venue that will play host to a sweet line-up of Aussie artists. Spread across Friday and Saturday from 6pm, the Locomotive stage will include Friday headline acts PNAU (DJ SET) and Saturday headliner Genesis Owusu. Other performers will include Jono Ma, Kota Banks, and 1300 on the Friday, while Budjerah, Pricie and Royel Otis will grace the stage on Saturday. You can grab yourself some tickets via Oztix for $20.
Alternatively, you can enjoy free live music at the FBi Radio stage, which will be hosting an array of exciting artists from 5pm – 10pm on the Friday, and 11am – 10pm on the Saturday. Very nice.
On the food front, you can expect to be well-nourished by some hospitality heavyweights including Kylie Kwong‘s eatery Lucky Kwong, the world’s first no-waste bar Re by Matt Whiley, RaRa Chan, Eat Fuh, Whitton, Steve Costi’s Famous Fish, Fishbowl, Bekya, Pepper Seed Thai, Sushi Hon, North Sandwiches and Yoho Loco. So maybe wear some stretchy pants because oh my god that food line-up is wild.
Be sure to check out the South Eveleigh Community Rooftop Garden while you’re around, as it will be hosting some wonderful workshops with Jiwah director Clarence Slockee. You can even enjoy a free garden tour which will run each day in the lovely South Eveleigh Cultural Garden, where you can join in on a rejuvenating stroll of the garden led by a cracker team of talented and enthusiastic environmentalists. If you wanna learn about the native fauna that is integral to the Indigenous heritage and land of South Eveleigh, then this is not to be missed.
Oh and make sure to get there early, as the festival will kick things off each day with a Smoking Ceremony to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which South Eveleigh sits.
Locomotive stage timetable
Friday 18th June
Festival site open from 5pm, Locomotive Stage doors 6pm
PNAU (DJ Set)
Jono Ma (DJ)
Kota Banks
1300
Sat 19th June
Festival site open from 11am, Locomotive Stage doors 6pm
Genesis Owusu
Budjerah
Pricie
Royel Otis
General entry is FREE. All ages welcome. Live Music Performances $20 +booking fee per ticket. Ages 18+. All profits go to the South Eveleigh Community Grants Program.
