Next month Armidale’s Big Chill Festival is back bigger and better than ever with some upgrades to the tried and true format that has entertained thousands of people in New England for the last few years.
Locked in for May 18 and 19 at the Armidale Sportsground on Dumaresq St, the gate for the two day event opens at 11am on Saturday and will close 6pm on the Sunday.
Speaking to the New England Times, Armidale Regional Council Mayor Sam Coupland said the council run festival will have everything visitors and locals have come to expect, inlcluding arts, crafts, street buskers, workshops and much more celebrating Armidale’s rich culture
“It’s the best of New England all rolled together, with musical acts, local and regional food, drink, you won’t find this anywhere else,” he said.
“We have award winning craft beer, local distilleries and wineries, food trucks, interactive experiences, art installations, fire pits; it just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Mayor Coupland added.
Unlike previous years though, Mayor Coupland says part of the format will be tweaked to make it a more interactive experience for the public.
“There has been a barbecue competition each year, but it’s always a spectator experience, this year it’s going to be a bit more interactive, there are going to be tastings at barbecue alley,” he said.
“Often in these competitions you watch it but don’t get a chance to sample it. This year, that’s changing. We are bringing the public into it.”
The 2024 festival is also for all ages, the whole time, with kids’ and teen zones. Previously under 18s were only allowed into the venue at certain times.
According to Mayor Coupland one of the Big Chill Festival’s basic tenets has always been showcasing the best of the region’s musical talent, food, drinks, and everything in between, a concept the council builds on every time.
“This year, from what I understand, we will have more local musical acts performing, and a second community stage for local acts,” he said.
In addition to the local artist lineup, a wide variety of musical genres, including indie, country, folk, and electronic musicians, will take to the main stages. Tamworth local and Gamilaraay artist Loren Ryan is set to perform on Sunday, as is Splashpool.
Other musical acts include rock band The Rubens, Jack River, Kingswood, Fergus James, Hudson Rose, Fyrebirds, Marvell, and Electric Postman.
Australian music heavyweight DIESEL, Tori Darke, Paw Patrol, and the Sam Buckley Duo are all confirmed for Sunday as well.
Just under 3,000 people attended the 2023 festival. Mayor Coupland says the council hopes to surpass this figure to keep growing the event, which has become a key draw for the town.
“This festival was created from state government funding, which has now stopped, but the event has been sufficiently successful that the council is confident enough to keep bringing it back,” he said.
“It’s become a key part of our events calendar,” Mayor Coupland added.
For more information on the Big Chill Festival, the full program and tickets are available on The Big Chill website.