By Matt Hewson
The Queenscliff Music Festival (QMF) returned for its 24th edition over the weekend, bringing its trademark program of diverse musical acts to delight around 10,000 festival goers.
Like so many large events, QMF has been on hiatus since 2019 due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
Festival director Andrew Orvis said it was wonderful to see the festival flourishing again after the enforced break.
“There were a lot of emotions, but relief is definitely a new one from a festival point of view,” Mr Orvis said.
“To get through it after the last few years was just a big relief. A lot has changed in the last few years; our industry has changed, we’ve lost so many suppliers and people, so it was almost like starting from scratch, even though it was our 24th festival.
“And we had a great weekend. The weather was on our side, there were lots of happy people, lots of great music. It was just great to be back doing it.”
Along with the big names at the festival, such as the Tesky Brothers, Vika and Linda and John Butler, QMF once more introduced many smaller acts to whole new audiences.
“It’s kind of always like that at QMF, and that’s part of the beauty of this festival,” Mr Orvis said.
“You’ve got all the big acts, but then you’ll hear people raving about Daddy Long Legs, an awesome blues rock band from the US. Nobody had ever heard of them, but now they’re some people’s favourite band.
“The Bad Dad Orchestra from Tassie too, with maybe the best band name at the festival. For others, Fanny Lumsden, a country act, was their highlight.
“There are always surprises. The joy of a festival like ours is that it’s a choose your own adventure style of program, and that’s what’s awesome about what we do.”
