With the sun shining and the mood high, the first day of Party in the Apocalypse felt anything but apocalyptic.
The new Tasmanian festival from the Party In The Paddock team has battled COVID-19 restrictions and date changes and was particularly poignant for Launceston singer-songwriter Tom Fowkes who opened the festival.
"It's been pretty amazing, I felt like it was a big responsibility but really nice to be able to do and set the scene," he said.
"It's certainly the biggest gig I've done in two years, and it's up there as one of the biggest ever for me.
"I think people just want to come back and enjoy live music outdoors together, especially in a festival setting. It can't get any better."
For Launceston's Tiana Plumbridge and Maddie Whitmore, Party in the Apocalypse is their first ever music festival and they were excited to be attending one in their hometown.
"It feels great to be here, it's my first festival and it's been a number of years since I've seen a concert. It's great to see live music back," Ms Plumbridge said.
Ms Plumbridge and Ms Whitmore said the festival's closing act Lime Cordiale is set to be the highlight.
Vibestown artistic director Jesse Higgs said with ticket sales nearing the 5000 mark, he was pleased to see festival attendees embracing the festival atmosphere whilst staying COVID-safe.
"So at the moment, we're really happy to be here and see everyone with masks on. Everyone has the double vax, they're ready to dance- it's going to be a great show," he said.
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"We've got dancing back and we couldn't be happier to send the end of the year off with this Party in the Apocalypse."
Mr Higgs said the festival was taking direct instructions from the Department of Public Health to ensure the event was COVID-safe, however the feedback from attendees had made it all worth it.
"You can see it in their [attendees'] eyes, you can see that people are really ready to have a boogie," he said.
"And there's a couple of hay bales around so we might see a bit of dust and a bit of hay like the old days."
Tickets are still available for the second day of the festival, with Lime Cordiale, Client Liaison, Cub Sport and Ruby Fields set to hit the stage.
For more information, visit partyintheapocalypse.com.au.
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Sarah Davison
Education reporter at The Examiner, with an additional focus on issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. With a background in Psychology, Sarah completed her Master's thesis on the Australian media's coverage of familicide. Get in touch: sarah.davison@examiner.com.au or 0448 682 861
Education reporter at The Examiner, with an additional focus on issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community. With a background in Psychology, Sarah completed her Master's thesis on the Australian media's coverage of familicide. Get in touch: sarah.davison@examiner.com.au or 0448 682 861
