Happy faces among a ‘sea of couches’: Meredith makes a glorious return

You won’t need a GPS to find your way to Meredith Music Festival.

Perched tenuously atop utes, caravans and trailers, a convoy of couches winding its way towards the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre, two hours drive west of Melbourne, is the only guide you’ll need. It’s a sign that after 1091 long days, one of Victoria’s most beloved music festivals is finally back.

Punters carry a couch in to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre.Credit:Rick Clifford

While fire, torrential rain and commercial interests have led to massive upheaval in Australian music festivals – with some events now feeling quite distant from their humble roots – Meredith has managed to retain its unique character over three decades, a pandemic, and many unpredictable summers. It’s why so many people keep coming back, why thousands miss out on the ballot for a ticket every year, and why people volunteer their time to direct traffic, clean the toilets and keep the festival running just for a chance to get in.

Despite the eager return to the first post-pandemic event, there was no rush as thousands gathered on Friday for the 30th anniversary of Meredith. Those with couches – some retro-fitted with bars and eskies – casually jostled for prime position in front of the single stage, politely adhering to the festival’s strict “no dickhead” policy.

Billy Goodwin (second from the left) and friends make full use of their bar-and-couch set-up at Meredith Music Festival 2022. Credit:Rick Clifford

Marcus Whelan, attending his eighth Meredith, convinced a friend to cart his couch from Melbourne while he took a shuttle bus with friends.

“We loaded it up on his roof, he brought it here and secured prime position,” he said. “We just rolled in and reaped the rewards.”

Whelan, from Thornbury, said Canadian musician Caribou was the act most likely to pull him from his comfortable surrounds towards the main stage.

The Nolan family farm has hosted the festival since son Chris and his university mates Marcus Downie and Greg Peele hosted the first Meredith Music Festival in 1991. The Meredith formula – a diverse range of music, one stage, and a nude race to boot – has been perfected ever since.

Those who attend a music festival hoping to “find themselves” usually come up short, but for Billy Goodwin, a carpenter from Lara, building a bar-and-couch set-up for the festival helped him find his calling.

“I wasn’t [a carpenter] when I built this, but I am now,” he said. “I think building the bar brought something out in me, and I was like ‘I just got to do that forever’.”

A smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country from Wathaurung man Uncle Barry Gilson kicked off proceedings on Friday, before Melbourne band Rot TV launched into 40 minutes of heavy rock.

Friday night’s lineup moves from Gumbaynggirr rapper Tasman Keith into a soul-tinged set from Portuguese-born singer, Erika de Casier.

After sunset, Australian favourites Courtney Barnett and Yothu Yindi grace the stage before the Comet is Coming steps up to deliver an energetic, saxophone-infused dance set.

Emma-Lee Elms at Meredith Music Festival 2022.Credit:Rick Clifford

There is something for everyone at Meredith, from rusted-on veterans to first timers. An eclectic mix of acts, a brass band marching through the campsite at 10 am each morning, the infamous naked race. This is the Meredith formula, tried and tested over the three decades since three university mates hosted the first festival here in 1991.

Emma-Lee Elms didn’t know what to expect from her first Meredith, but was enjoying a more laid-back atmosphere than other festivals she had attended.

“I think it’s beautiful. I love the sea of couches,” she said. “I was expecting a really long delay with cars, but there wasn’t. I was really amazed by that.”

Despite recent rains making some campsites muddy and off-limits, the forecast for this weekend reads for mostly sun and blue skies until Sunday afternoon when the festival wraps up.

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