Meredith Music Festival runs from Dec 5-7 on the lands of the Wadawurrung, Photograph by Luke Costelloe
The playing times are here for the 33rd Meredith Music Festival, which takes over the Nolan family farm on beautiful Wadawurrung Country, somewhere between Ballarat and Geelong, from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 December.
READ: Golden Plains 2025 review – there’s still no place like the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre
Colin Hay has cancelled his Australian tour due to illness, including his performance at Meredith. He’ll be replaced by The Peep Tempel, who recently finished a national reunion tour in celebration of the 10th (or 11th) anniversary of their breakout album Tales. It’s the one with “Carol” on it. The Melbourne rock trio will perform at 3 pm on Saturday.
Headliners TV on the Radio will perform a 70-minute set on Saturday night, kicking off at 10.15 pm. Perfume Genius is on for 50 minutes on Friday night, ahead of dreamy psych-jazz crew Mildlife. Daptone ensemble Thee Sacred Souls are no longer on the bill, but Coventry rapper Pa Salieu is still there, scheduled to perform on Meredith’s one and only stage from 12.05 to 12.50 on Friday night.
Syrian wedding singer Omar Souleyman is locked in for the fabled Saturday afternoon hype-up slot, wedged in between house trio Dames Brown and US hip hop veteran Oddisee. J-pop group Atarashii Gakko! will follow TV on the Radio on Saturday night, before DJs RONA., HAAi and Wax’o Paradiso carry us through to sunrise.
The Sunday entertainment includes pop aesthete Guy Blackman, chill house guy Jack J and even chiller indie folk crew Florist. For some mad reason I have agreed to DJ in Melbourne at 4pm on the Sunday and I’m stubbornly refusing to cancel. I expect it to be shaky as. And dust ridden.
The interstitial DJs have also been announced. Triple R’s Sam Cummins and Skylab’s Babycino will be lining up tracks in between acts on Friday; Crown Ruler’s Jimi Dawg and Triple R’s Small Fry and Fee B-Squared will handle between-act vibe duties on Saturday; and PBS FM’s Sarita is sending out cosmic vibrations on Sunday.
The festival begins with a smoking ceremony at 3.15 pm on Friday and Welcome to Country at 3.45. The first live act is Naarm post-punk and art rock band Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice. Fuzz-pop outfit Rhysics will play the closing set at 2.30 pm on Sunday. Gates close at 4.30 pm.
Tickets are sold out.
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Meredith Music Festival 2025 playing times (click to expand)
Friday 5 December
- 15.15-15.45: Smoking ceremony
- 15.45-15.55: Welcome to Country
- 16.00-16.40: Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice
- 17.00-17.40: Drifting Clouds
- 18.00-18.40: Folk Bitch Trio
- 19.05-19.45: Saya Gray
- 20.10-20.55: Brown Spirits
- 21.25-22.15: Perfume Genius
- 22.40-23.40: Mildlife
- 12.05-12.50: Pa Salieu
- 01.10-01.40: Sam Austins
- 01.55-02.55: Ninajirachi
- 03.00-04.00: RP Boo
Interstitial DJs: Sam Cummins, Babycino; MC: Shorty
Saturday 6 December
- 10:00-10:40: City Of Ballarat Municipal Brass Band
- 11:00-11.40: Mouseatouille
- 12.00-12.40: The Prize
- 13.00-13.40: June Jones
- 14.00-14.40: Radio Free Alice
- 15.00-15.45: The Peep Tempel
- 16.10-16.55: Dames Brown
- 17.15-18.05: Omar Souleyman
- 18.30-19.15: Oddisee & Good Company
- 19.45-20.35: Chet Faker
- 21.00-21.45: Bar Italia
- 22.15-23.25: TV on the Radio
- 23.55-12.55: Atarashii Gakko!
- 01.08-01.20: Meredith Sky Show
- 01.20-02.50: RONA.
- 02.55-04.55: HAAi
- 05.00-07.00- Wax’o Paradiso
Interstitial DJs: Jimi Dawg, Small FRY, Fee B-Squared; MC: Shorty, Uncle Barry
Sunday 7 December
- 09:00-09:40: Master Song Tai Chi
- 10:00-10:40: Guy Blackman
- 11:00-11.40: Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s Choir
- 12.00-12.40: Florist
- 13.00-13.40: Jack J
- 14.00-14.30: The Meredith Gift
- 14.30-15.00: Rhysics
Interstitial DJ: Sarita; MC: Gabriella Bartonova & The Huxleys (The Gift) and Lazy Susan
