Splendour In The Grass 2023 was back and better than ever! Sunshine, high vibes and even rainbows as Ngarindjin / North Byron Parklands played host to the festival’s 21st birthday edition on the weekend. It was a huge three days of music, art, discussion, debate, science, food and culture, and festival goers could not get enough.
The stacked lineup this year included big names like Lizzo, Flume, Mumford & Sons, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Hilltop Hoods, Sam Fender, Tove Lo, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, PNAU, Thelma Plum, Peach PRC, Dune Rats, Tkay Maidza, Noah Cyrus and more. They played to an audience of nearly 40,000 each day, across three main stages, The Amphitheatre, Mix Up Stage and GW McLennan Tent, as well as The Forest, Global Village, Rainbow Bar, Forum, Science Tent and Little Splendour.
- 15,000 festive goers made their home away from home in the Splendour campgrounds and started their ingress from Wednesday. New measures such as timed entry tickets ensured an efficient admission process for campers. A bus service and day parking ensured a smooth experience for entry and exit which was a welcomed change to the issues faced last year.
The queen of good vibes Lizzo stole the hearts of everyone at North Byron Parklands with her positivity and message of self-love. Ocean Alley was joined by Meg Mac for a beautiful tribute to Lewis Capaldi who had to withdraw from the festival, performing a cover of Capaldi’s ‘Someone You Loved’.
Benee joined Jeremy Zucker for a live performance of their track 'I’m So Happy' and then invited Mallrat on stage during her own set to perform their song Do It Again, the official song of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sam Fender set the Amphitheatre on fire with a roaring set that included a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark.
Flume delivered a massive set to an absolutely packed Amphitheatre that included an epic run of guest spots from Kucka, Vera Blue, May-A, Tkay Maidza and Tove Lo.
Dune Rats set the stage alight, throwing inflatable beers and balloons across the crowd as they were joined by rock’n’roll royalty The Angels, Ruby Fields and TOTTY for an iconic rendition of Aussie classic 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?'
Tove Lo brought her fierce feminine energy before slowing things down with a crowd singalong of Robyn’s 'Dancing On My Own' before UK rockers IDLES left ears ringing after their rowdy and ruckus set. Splendour favourites Hilltop Hoods returned to the Amphitheatre, joined by special guests JK-47, Jess B and Z Pluto. Then PNAU brought the energy, while Mumford & Sons brought the sentiment – closing out the 21st edition of Splendour in the Grass with a hearty dose and huge singalong set full of folk-rock anthems.
Splendour in the Grass Co-founders Jessica Ducrou and Paul Piticco said “What an incredible weekend. We want to thank all of our Splendour patrons for their support, the ones who have joined us year after year and the ones that came for the first time in 2023. Thanks for looking after each other, for exploring, for discovering and for making Splendour 2023 the beautiful event that it was. Big love to you all and see you next year!”
Vibes were high, hearts were full and Splendour In The Mud had been forgotten with this year's epic instalment. Bring on SITG24!
