If there’s one thing the past few years have taught us, it’s that we really miss music festivals. Like really miss them. And we especially miss St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. We’ve covered many Laneway’s in the past, and are simply stoked to see the festival back on our music calendar. Renowned for its healthy dose of up-and-coming acts alongside alternative scene stalwarts, 2023 finds the beloved festival reach one of its biggest lineups yet. Here’s what you can expect.
Three Headliners… But Laneway Style
You can always expect Laneway to pull headliners that feel right at home in the alternative music landscape. In a non-pandemic world, we would have been treated to Phoebe Bridgers’ presence in Australia already, but 2023 will finally be the year she arrives. Whether she brings a new album with her is still yet to be seen, but we’re crossing our fingers.
Joji is a headliner we were quite surprised to see at first, but his devoted fanbase and left-field pop music feels right as a Laneway headliner. Finally, HAIM round out the headliner trio with their smooth pop-rock that is simply made for the headliner stage. It’s been a hot minute since we’ve seen the Californian trio in Australia, so they’ll be one of our must-see acts next year.
A Smorgasboard of Music
Where Laneway really succeeds is casting the net far and wide for their lineup. The term “diverse lineup” might get thrown around here and there, but Laneway Festival truly embodies diversity in both genre and identity. Fans of any alternative music genre have plenty to feast on at Laneway, whether it’s hip-hop, electronic, or punk.
Hip hop has been an area where Laneway generally picks a handful of acts that fit the alternative festival’s style. This lineup is no different, featuring Slowthai, Tasman Keith, and Knucks. Slowthai could’ve been a headliner on another day, and is a massive get for the festival. His live energy is unmatched, and he is set to bring the ruckus to Laneway. Fellow British rapper Knucks feels like the lowkey hip-hop act that Laneway finds before anyone else, and Tasman Kieth sees the festival show love to the budding Australian hip-hop scene. We’re all ears for these hip-hop acts!
The electronic music space is looking mighty this year. Hot off his sensational Boiler Room set is Fred Again, who will electrify the stage with his unique blend of house music. Pair that with Ross From Friends, Harvey Sutherland, and Chaos in the CBD, and you’ve got a day of raving at Laneway.
The punk side of the festival is also looking strong this year. While Fontaines D.C. was meant to play the festival before cancelling in 2020, they will make their Australian debut with three superb post-punk albums under their belt. The Irish rockers have been the standout throughout the European festival circuit this year, and they’re easily one of our most anticipated acts on the lineup. Fellow rockers Turnstile and Yard Act bolster only add to the head-banging we’ll be doing next year.
New (Local) Kids On The Block
While many eyes are on the exciting international acts that Laneway is bringing down under, the festival always grabs a few up-and-coming local acts too. This year sees another set of Aussies that are at the forefront of our local scene. Indie-pop queen Sycco is fresh off dropping a collab with Flume, while the Lazy Eyes just turned heads with their Like A Version and casually wrapped up a support gig with The Strokes in July. If Laneway lineups of years past are any indication, this local contingent is set to take over the Aussie music scene, so Laneway is a great chance to catch them before their inevitable glow up.
St Jerome’s Laneway Festival is in your city and on sale now! Visit their site before tickets fly out the door.
