Ability Fest is Back and Better Than Ever!
Photographs by Jean Ngooi
Australia’s most accessible festival is back! Featuring a dazzling lineup of Aussie talent spanning across a variety of genres, hundreds gathered at Alexandra Gardens to enjoy live music in the heart of Melbourne.
On the day before Ability Fest, a thunderstorm poured over the city. Thankfully in true Melburnian fashion, things changed dramatically by the time the gates opened to the festival as the sun came out of a blue sky to warmly welcome those entering. Proudly championed as Australia’s first and only accessible festival, this is Ability Fest’s fourth year running. What makes Ability Fest special is the various on-site inclusions for all sorts of disabilities. From wheelchair-accessible paths throughout to a silent disco with vibration vests, there is a careful amount of thought put into ensuring every person who attends can enjoy live music.
Kicking things off on the main stage was Triple J’s winner GK. As people started to enter and settle in, audiences were also greeted by performances by Eliza Hull in her shimmery sequin dress song. Donning cowboy hats, Asha Jefferies and her band had a blast and even performed a cover of Chappell Roan’s ‘My Kink is Karma’.
Throughout the afternoon, the crowd basked in the sun as various acts performed. The five-piece Floodlights brought their anthemic rock to the stage, Sunshine & Disco Faith Choir’s groovy tunes got people dancing, Kita Alexander charmed the audience with her heartfelt pop songs (and a little country!), and King Stingray brought the crowd into their world of Yolŋu surf-rock.
By the time ONEFOUR came on, audiences were already invigorated but the energy showcased by the band took it one step further. A leading talent in the Australian rap scene, ONEFOUR easily riled up the crowd. Middle fingers raised, they rapped and jumped along to the group’s performance.
After that, indie-pop darlings Cub Sport took to the stage to perform songs from across their five albums. Additionally, the band performed Addison Rae’s ‘Diet Pepsi’ in the spirit of their recent viral video where frontman Tim Nelson sang it to his grandma’s nursing home. On stage at Ability Fest, Nelson proudly declared “Addison Rae you will always be famous”. Closing out their set, Cub Sport performed ‘Come on Mess Me Up’ from their debut album.
Meanwhile, on the Mark’s Stage, an energetic array of DJs kept the dancefloor going throughout the day. This stage featured the duo Bag Raiders, best known for their hit ‘Shooting Stars’, and they drew the most audience during their 6pm set. The rest of the lineup featured Kuzco, DAWS, NayNay, Boone, Wax’o Paradiso, Jordan Brando, Crybaby and Dewbs.
As the night swept across the sky, fan-favourite Ocean Alley took to the stage. With an incredibly vocal audience singing alongside, it’s no wonder why frontman Baden Donegal called this the best festival in Australia. At the end of their set, Dylan Alcott himself came to the stage to thank everyone and present the DAF grant recipients.
Wrapping things up at Ability Fest, jamesjamesjames came on stage for a nearly two-hour closing set. Opening with a remix of Charli XCX’s talk talk, jamesjamesjames provided the tunes for those that wanted to bookend their Saturday by dancing the night away.
After another successful run, Ability Fest continues to show that providing accessibility at a music festival is not a hard feat. A festival for everyone, Ability Fest is quickly becoming one of Australia’s top festivals.