Hurray For The Riff Raff | Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/WireImage

Out On The Weekend 2024: Hurray For The Riff Raff, Emma Donovan + More

May 30, 2024

Out On The Weekend has announced its return for 2024, sharing its first round of artists. The alt-country festival, which is held in the outer Melbourne suburb of Williamstown, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, having first run in 2014 – with the festival’s sub-title being Celebrating a Decade of Good Times. The full line-up, as well as ticketing information, can be found below.

Headlining the festival are Hurray For The Riff Raff, making their first Australian appearance since Bluesfest 2018. The project, fronted by singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra, released their ninth studio album The Past is Still Alive earlier this year in February. “We toured Alynda and the band way back when,” said the festival organisers in a press statement. “We thought it was about time we brought them back as part of our celebrations.”

Hurray For The Riff Raff – ‘Alibi’

Other American artists joining the bill are Arkansas’ Nick Shoulders, Portland’s Rose City Band, Goldendale’s Margo Cilker and Nashville’s Joshua Hedley. On the national front, Gumbaynggirr soul singer Emma Donovan will return to the festival for the first time as a solo artist – having previously performed as part of Emma Donovan & The Putbacks.

In a press statement, Love Police founder and Out On The Weekend booker Brian “BT” Taranto noted that he was “constantly warmed by the loving comments of Out On The Weekend regulars”, both in person and online. “I love it, they love it,” he said.

“At Love Police, we really are just turning our teenage dreams into colourful vibrations, and this one wears a cowboy hat if it wants to, and hangs out for a day of excellent good times with like-minded folk. The weather always does us great, and it’s that time in Melbourne post-footy and pre-summer where there ain’t that much to do. Out On The Weekend can more than fill that gap if you let it, and then some.”