St Kilda Festival has a blank space for Taylor Swift
Dear Taylor Swift,
Standin' here, hopin' it gets to you
We are all looking forward to welcoming you to Melbourne! It feels like the whole of Australia is ENCHANTED to meet you at the Eras Tour this February.
With your upcoming visit, we felt we needed to send you a MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. I don’t know how it gets better than this, but our St Kilda Festival 2024 is being held the same weekend as the Eras Tour in Melbourne.
St Kilda Festival has a REPUTATION as the biggest free live music festival in Australia! Maybe it’s a coincidence or maybe it’s KARMA – either way, there is a big LOVE STORY between our community and our Festival, and we’d love for you to be a part of it.
We would like to formally invite you to come and visit our GORGEOUS St Kilda Foreshore and meet the MASTERMINDs planning and performing at this amazing Festival.
Since the launch of the first St Kilda Festival in 1980 (not 1989), this well-loved annual summer celebration has established itself as an iconic event that brings the Melbourne community together and displays a breadth of upcoming and established Australian talent.
During DAYLIGHT hours we have delicious food, activities, and fun for the whole family, and as we get closer to MIDNIGHTS, we continue to see some of Australia’s best musical talent to discover, if you’re READY FOR IT. We have some amazing bands that might be your STYLE, including Mallrat, Telenova, Chela, Lotte Gallagher, Thandi Phoenix, Eleanor Jawurlngali Triad, The Merindas, Katie Aspel and The Miffs.
You can find out more on our festival website here: stkildafestival.com.au
There will be no BAD BLOOD if you can’t come, but it would fulfil our WILDEST DREAMS if you could see how incredible this music Festival is for the Melbourne community. I know ALL TOO WELL how busy that weekend will be for you, but we are all so excited at the prospect of our two music events being held on the same weekend, so THIS IS ME TRYING.
When I think of this year’s Festival and your concert, my fellow Councillors have told me I NEED TO CALM DOWN - but why should I, when Melbourne will be the music capital of the world that weekend in February?
If TODAY WAS A FAIRYTALE, imagine what the St Kilda Festival weekend could be with your visit. There’s a ticket with a BLANK SPACE here – SPEAK NOW and I’ll write your name!
City of Port Phillip Mayor Heather Cunsolo has issued a personal invitation to the world’s biggest artist in a video invitation and a letter, which also appeared as an ad in a Melbourne newspaper on 14 February.
“Melbourne will be the live music capital of the world when Taylor Swift is performing at the MCG the same weekend that thousands of music lovers are flocking to the foreshore for the 43rd St Kilda Festival,” Cr Cunsolo said. “Taylor has a reputation of being a fantastic champion of talented performers so we are hoping she will accept our invitation to come along to enjoy live Australian music and meet some of these amazing artists.”
Cr Cunsolo also urged Swifties, many travelling from interstate to see their idol perform, to come along and enjoy the free, festival fun during their visit.
“No visit to Melbourne is complete without coming to St Kilda – we’re famous for live music, food and drink, our iconic foreshore and being a place to come together and celebrate,” she said.
In fact, live music is so integral to St Kilda that Victoria’s first Live Music Precinct was declared there in 2023.
“It’s a big love story and everyone – including Taylor and her dedicated fans - are warmly invited to be part of this unique two-day celebration of live music.”
For more information, including the program, visit the St Kilda Festival website.
Background
Since its birth in 1980, St Kilda Festival (SKF) has showcased thousands of musicians and bands and is one of Australia’s oldest music festivals. The Festival regularly attracts more than 400,000 on the big Festival Sunday, making it one of the largest events in Australia and, as it’s free, also the most accessible.
SKF has helped launch the careers of many Australian musicians, with a multitude of notable musicians gracing its stages, including Archie Roach, Hunters and Collectors, Paul Kelly, Regurgitator, The Cat Empire, Yothu Yindi and Courtney Barnett.
More than 60 acts are taking to multiple stages for the 2024 SKF. Adding to the fun, roving performers and buskers will be on hand and there are plenty of family entertainment and activities on offer.
Proudly presented by City of Port Phillip, this celebration of Australian music kicks off with First Peoples First on 17 February from 10 am to 9 pm. The incredible line-up of First Nations artists includes Mo’Ju, Birren, Charlie Needs Braces, Pirritu, The Merindas and Ziggy Ramo and the event concludes with a sunset ceremony Kummargii Yulendji Gadabah (together we rise up with knowledge).
Thousands are expected to flock to the foreshore and beyond the next day for Big Festival Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm. The Main Stage will feature Bag Raiders, Budjerah, Mallrat, Thandi Phoenix, Mark Seymour & the Undertow, 1300 and last year’s New Music Competition Winner, Julian Munyard. Singing Our Futures, presented by the Archie Roach Foundation, returns to both days of the Festival.