Last year's Harvest was an emotional affair because it was my very last day in Melbourne before moving interstate. This year, I went back for sentimental reasons and ended up having the best ever festival experience of my life. As an ex-music publicist and obsessed fan, I've been to so many music festivals I thought once I quit I’d never go again. Until Harvest.

What makes Harvest stand out? Harvest has eliminated all the bad elements of festival outings and enhanced the good.

The Werribee Park site in Melbourne is so beautiful. No mud, no dust - it's all green grass and flourishing plants in November. Melbourne weather even blessed the festival with two glorious days of sunshine and thanks to the trees, there was plenty of shade to keep my blonde-hair and blue-eyed pals from burning to a crisp.

The food is divine - all gourmet and high quality food stalls. None of the overpriced rubbish that seems to be the norm at most big festivals. I seriously wished Harvest wasn't a one-day festival so I could try more food! There were also art installations and chill spaces around the entire festival which made the experience even more relaxing – though with added kooky fun. It’s not every day I get to sit in a human-sized bird nest to enjoy coffee and waffles.

In its start-up year Harvest queues for drinks and toilets were quite insane but the festival listened to the feedback and this year they had a way more effective drinks system and toilets aplenty. No queues whatsoever. Thanks for caring, Harvest!


All this and I haven't even started gushing about the amazing line-up! The team behind Harvest Festival put together a line-up for genuine music lovers. They're not going for the so-indie-you-don't-know-them-but-pretend-you-do line-up or the so-mainstream-you-don't-like-music-but-you-go-because-it's-fashionable-and-get-blind-drunk-and-pass-out-before-midday crowd.

I explored the festival site with Dandy Warhols as my background music, I got to see my favourite band in the line-up, Liars, front and centre, discovered Mike Patton’s Mondo Cane, stoner rocked with The Black Angels, chilled out to the beautiful sounds of Beirut, had a blast dancing to Beck (my surprise favourite performance of the day – I knew he’d be great but I’m not a Beck fanatic so didn’t expect him to be my festival highlight), stopped by Fuck Buttons for a bit of party-electro but decided the indie experimental Grizzly Bear was a much gentler ease into the atmospheric glory of Sigor Ros. Everyone was top quality.

Thanks Harvest for the most beautiful festival experience I’ve ever had. I’ll see you next year.

Love.