As the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic continually loosened on Australia’s music industry in 2022, music fans across the country this year witnessed the explosive return of live gigs, festival mosh pits and massive stadium tours. While not without its pandemic-related disruptions, the gradual return of live music seems to be building momentum for what is arguably the biggest night on our collective social calendar: New Year’s Eve.
Spanning from capital cities to rural pubs, there’s an excess of choice for Australian music fans to close the chapter on 2022. Whether it’s inner-city club nights, music festivals or star-studded line-ups at your nearest local, partygoers can rest assured that there’s something for everyone as the clock strikes midnight.
As the December 31 countdown nears, NME has compiled a roundup of the biggest New Year’s Eve music events hitting Australian venues at the year’s end.
NYE In The Park
Where: Victoria Park, Sydney, NSW
Find tickets and more info here
Billed as Sydney’s only New Year’s Eve festival, NYE In The Park returns for its fifth iteration since first launching in 2017. The festival will again take to its traditional site at Victoria Park in Camperdown, where it will welcome to the stage a massive line-up headlined by Flight Facilities, Lime Cordiale, Cut Copy and Rico Nasty. GRACE, Vacations, Grentperez and Becca Hatch also appear on the bill. Third and final release tickets to NYE In The Park are available via the festival’s website here.
New Years Eve Party featuring Mallrat, What So Not and more
Where: Uni Bar, Hobart, Tasmania
Find tickets and more info here
In what will be its first outing since 2020, New Years Eve Party will return with its mini-festival at Hobart’s Uni Bar. Fresh off the release of their albums this year, Mallrat and What So Not headline the Sandy Bay event alongside Arno Faraji, Lennon Wells and more. Remaining tickets to Hobart’s New Years Eve event can be found here.
Beyond The Valley
Where: Barunah Plains, Victoria
Find tickets and more info here
One of Australia’s biggest and most adored camping festivals, Beyond The Valley returns in 2022 after two years of disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comeback edition will this year take to a new site, relocating from its usual Gippsland grounds to the Barunah Plains in Hesse, Victoria. The four-night festivities kick off on December 28 and finish on New Year’s Day.
The line-up for this year’s edition includes Nelly Furtado, Kaytranada, Denzel Curry, Diplo, Bicep, Honey Dijon, Dom Dolla, HAAi, Flight Facilities, Tkay Maidza, Yung Lean, Aitch, Confidence Man, Lime Cordiale, Vera Blue, Remi Wolf, BENEE and many more. All camping tickets have sold out, but you can purchase day passes, including for New Year’s Eve, here.
Good As NYE at The Beachie ft. Odd Mob, KLP, LO’99 and more
Where: Beachcomber Hotel, Toukley, NSW
Find tickets and more info here
Central Coast’s biggest-ticket item this New Year’s Eve is hosted by Good As, and will see the likes of Odd Mob, KLP and LO’99 take to the stage at Toukley’s Beachcomber Hotel. DJ Dave Winnel, who recently collaborated with KLP for triple j’s Like A Version, will also perform on the evening, alongside fellow producer Tay G. Tickets to Good As NYE at The Beachie can be found here.
Daryl Braithwaite, NYE set at Tasmania’s Taste of Summer
Where: Princes Wharf No.1, Hobart, Tasmania
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Forming a major drawcard for Tasmania’s Taste of Summer festival, Daryl Braithwaite will bring his decades-spanning discography to a New Year’s Eve set at Hobart’s Princes Wharf. Braithwaite’s performance forms part of Taste of Summer’s broader music program, which runs from December 27 to January 2, and elsewhere includes sets from Dana, Acres and more. Find tickets here.
New Years Eve at North Gong featuring Crooked Colours, Allday and The Terrys
Where: North Wollongong Hotel, Wollongong, NSW
Find tickets and more info here
After being forced to cancel last year’s festivities due to COVID-19, New Years Eve at North Gong will return this year with performances by dance music trio Crooked Colours, rapper Allday and surf-rock band The Terrys.
Organised by the folks behind Yours and Owls festival, the proceedings will take place across three outdoor stages in what’s been billed as a mini-festival. The event will take place at North Wollongong hotel, with remaining tickets available here.
Harbour Party
Where: Milsons Point, Sydney, NSW
Find tickets and more info here
Taking to Sydney’s iconic Luna Park, Harbour Party has this year enlisted electronic acts Confidence Man, Bag Raiders and Stafford Brothers for its New Year’s Eve celebrations. The venue offers views of the city’s fireworks display, and access to Luna Park’s rides throughout the evening. Confidence Man’s sophomore album ‘TILT’ arrived in November of this year. Find tickets to Harbour Party 2022 here.
Falls Festival
Where: North Byron Parkland, Byron Bay
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Falls Festival’s upcoming instalments will mark its first in three years. While the beloved festival is held across three sites, including this year’s debut at Birregurra, Victoria, it’s the Byron Bay edition that will ring in the new year, taking place from December 31 – January 2 at the town’s North Byron Parklands.
The line-up for this year’s Falls Festival is headlined by Arctic Monkeys, Lil Nas X, Peggy Gou, CHVRCHES and Jamie xx, alongside the likes of Aminé, PinkPantheress, Rico Nasty, TSHA, Jean Dawson, and Australian acts Ocean Alley, Spacey Jane, DMA’S, The Vanns, King Stingray, Floodlights and Telenova. Three-day camping and single-day tickets are still available for Byron Bay’s Falls Festival, and are both available here.
NYE Party with Stanton Warriors & Krafty Kuts
Where: Monsoons Bar, Darwin, Northern Territory
Find tickets and more info here
UK DJ duo Stanton Warriors are ringing in the new year at Darwin’s Monsoons Bar, with assists from fellow English DJ Krafty Kuts. The festivities run until 6am, with both general release and VIP tickets available here. Both Stanton Warriors and Krafty Kuts will perform earlier in the month in Perth, taking to Belvoir Amphitheatre on December 26.
Pleasurehood New Year’s Eve Ft. Jackmaster and Tommy Trash
Where: The Prince Consort, Brisbane, Queensland
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Headlined by Scottish DJ Jackmaster alongside Tommy Trash, Brisbane’s Pleasurehood event will take place in Fortitude Valley, with local acts Little Fritter, Jordan Burns and Noy also taking to the stage. The party takes place across two levels of the Prince Consort, with tickets available via the venue’s website here.
Lucky Day Out
Where: Kinetic Stadium, Melbourne, Victoria
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Organised by the folks behind Good Things Festival, Lucky Day Out will take place at Melbourne’s Kinetic Stadium, with US rapper Kid Ink headlining the one-day event. He’ll be joined by Australian acts Masked Wolf, Tigerlily and Joel Fletcher, as well as DJ duos Brothers and Rockafellas. Find tickets here.
Field Trip Festival
Where: Bonython Park, Adelaide, SA
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Festival mainstay DJ Will Sparks headlines this one-stage music event at Adelaide’s Bonython Park. He’ll be joined at the outdoor venue by Colin Hennerz and two Australian DJ duos: Bread Gang and Slice N Dice. Final release tickets to the Adelaide festival are available here.
NYE On The Hill
Where: South Gippsland, Victoria
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NYE On The Hill will run over New Year’s weekend from December 30 through to January 1, with performances on the clash-free stage set for the likes of Hockey Dad, Northeast Party House, Ruby Fields, Slowly Slowly, Sly Withers, Pacific Avenue, Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers, Coterie and Birdz, among many others. NYE On The Hill returns to its usual South Gippsland site, with four-day tickets on their final release here.
Lost Paradise
Where: Glenworth Valley, Central Coast
Find tickets and more info here
Hosting its comeback edition after a two-year absence, this year’s Lost Paradise boasts its biggest line-up to date, led by the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Lil Nas X, Jamie xx and PinkPantheress. The camping festival runs between December 28 to January 1 in the grounds of Glenworth Valley on the Central Coast.
There are both live performers and DJs billed, with Ocean Alley, Spacey Jane, G Flip, Cub Sport, Genesis Owusu accounting for the former and Peggy Gou, Mall Grab and DJ Boring the latter. Both three and four day camping tickets to Lost Paradise are on their final release, and can be found here.
Amplify New Years Eve
Where: Sydney Building, Canberra
Find tickets and more info here
Showcasing emerging DJs from the nation’s capital, Amplify New Years Eve will take to Canberra’s Sydney Building on December 31, with a line-up that includes Vytal, Bozer, Milky and more. The upcoming event has been billed as organisers’ biggest to date, with tickets available for just over $10. Head here for more ticketing and event information.
Snack Festival New Years Eve
Where: Claremont Showground, Western Australia
Find tickets and more info here
Taking to Perth’s Claremont Showgrounds this year is international DJ Darude, whose smash hit ‘Sandstorm’ will soundtrack Snack Festival’s countdown fireworks display. Snack festival boasts a range of tents and fairground attractions, as well as a so-called ‘Red Lights District’ and silent disco and karaoke areas. Darude will perform at the event’s ‘Boombox’ mainstage. Final release tickets to Snack Festival are available here.
Freedom Time
Where: Supreme Court Gardens, Perth, WA
Find tickets and more info here
Freedom Time is returning after a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, heading back to its traditional home of the Supreme Court Gardens in Perth. The riverside venue will host line-up acts Wax’o Paradiso, Rok Riley and German boiler room master Fantastic Man. Second release tickets to Freedom Time are quickly selling, and are available here.
Stay tuned to NME for more Australia music festival news