Earlier this week we learned Dylan Alcott’s fully-accessible Ability Fest would be returning this year after taking a break in 2020 due to the pandemic. The event, which the Paralympian gold medallist launched in 2017 alongside Untitled Group, will make its comeback Saturday, 27th November in Melbourne – moving from its usual home of Coburg Velodrome to Alexandra Gardens.
Now, the lineup has been revealed, with the likes of Cup Sport, Peking Duk (DJ set), Alex the Astronaut, Nina Las Vegas, Illy, Eves Karydas and more all set to perform. The festival will be fully accessible, with elevated viewing platforms, pathways, quiet zones, a designated sensory area, companion ticketing and AUSLAN interpreters.
Funds from each ticket sold go directly to the Dylan Alcott Foundation, used to help young Australians with disabilities fulfil their potential through the organisation’s grant program. In its first two years, Ability Fest raised nearly $500,000 for Alcott’s foundation.
“Ability Fest started as a place to bring friends together to enjoy good quality live music – no matter what your access challenges may be,” Alcott commented.
“Today, four years in, we have created an event that sets a new standard in the festival world, and shows others what is possible. I want to give young people with disability the opportunity to experience the magic of a music festival which previously may not have been possible for them, and raise a hell of a lot of money in the process.”
See the full lineup for Ability Fest 2021 below. Tickets will go on sale net Thursday, 12th August at midday, and there’s a pre-sale kicking off the day before you can sign up for here.
Ability Fest 2021
Saturday, 27th November
Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne
Alex the Astronaut
Benson
Cub Sport
Dena Amy
Ebony Boadu
Eves Karydas
Illy
Inkrewsive
JK-47
Motez
Nina Las Vegas
Peking Duk (DJ set)
Rudely Interrupted
Stace Cadet
Sumner
Sunshine
What So Not
+ more
