Splendour in the Grass 2018

Now in its 18th year, Splendour in the Grass has solidified itself as a staple of Australian music culture. Attracting bands from all around the world to head to North Byron isn’t an easy feat, but the atmosphere curated at Splendour turns this into a reality. The festival goes from the 20th of July to the 22nd and is held at North Byron Parklands.

What to do

If you’ve found yourself with some downtime in between waiting for your favourite bands to come out, it’s not like there’s a shortage of things to do while you’re at Splendour. Splendour in the Crafts offers a variety of craft lessons over the three days whereas The Science Tent will aim to blow your mind after a very exciting debut last year.

If science isn’t your thing, head down to Splendour Arts, where there’s a variety of art installations from national and international artists, ranging from projections to paintings as well as life size art installations. This art experience aims to celebrate the mixture of music and modern art and will feature street art as well as other art types.

There’s also the Splendour Comedy Club, which features comedy sets from Australian comedians who will be announced later in the year. This is open on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Once you’re sore from laughter, head over to the Bohemian Lounge where there’s yoga, dance, healing and poetry by day and circus performances by night.

Where to stay

There’s a range of places to stay while going to Splendour on the Grass. If you managed to nab a camping ticket, you’re already taken care of (but don’t forget to bring thermals as it’ll get cold in winter!) However, if you missed out on a camping ticket, there’s other places to stay around Byron. Byron Bay Hotel and Apartments is in the heart of Byron Bay’s shopping district whereas if you want to live like a local, try The Atlantic, which has the perfect combination of location and style.

Who to see

With acts like Kendrick Lamar hitting our shores, it’s safe to say that the music lineup for Splendour is going to cause fights amongst friends over who they want to see. For some artists such as Lorde, Vampire Weekend and Khalid, it’s their only Australian show, adding more fuel to the fire. This will probably be your only chance to see some acts this year, as Australia is a bit of a trek for most international acts.

Australian bands are rife amongst the lineup, with bands like Safia, The Jungle Giants and Ball Park Music hitting the stage, as well as Hockey Dad and PNAU. There’s more than 100 bands playing over the duration of the three day festival, so no matter who you’re into, there’s a high chance that they’re playing at Splendour. You can see the full lineup here.