St Kilda Festival draws 460,000

Image: Nathan Doran Photography

Yesterday’s 38th St. Kilda Festival in Melbourne drew 460,000, according to the event’s producer Adele Denison.

Numbers were unaffected by an alcohol and glass ban by police on the St. Kilda foreshore, as well as the expanded festival precinct also made alcohol free zone for most of the day.

But as Denison said, the free 12-hour family-friendly event has always essentially been a dry zone with just a few bar areas.

Police effected a strong no-nonsense presence and both the force and festival organisers praised crowd behaviour.

It was an effective platform for local live music, with 50 acts performing over seven stages.

They included The Jezabels, Dan Sultan, Tkay Maidza, Models, Nicky Bomba, Mia Dyson, Bustamento, last year’s New Music Stage competition winners That Gold Street Sound and a DJ set from Architecture in Helsinki which closed the event.

The music acts joined dance, carnival rides, sports, market stalls, kids’ activities to the self-styled “largest free festival in Australia.”