UNIFY Gathering "Taking Risks" With "Creative & Awesome" 2019 Lineup, Organisers Say

UPDATE: UNIFY Gathering 2019 Lineup Announced

ORIGINAL STORY: UNIFY Gathering organisers have revealed they “took some risks” with their “creative and awesome” music lineup for 2019, which is expected to be revealed in the coming months.

Unified Music Group’s Chief Creative Officer and General Manager of Touring & Events, Luke Logemann, has told Music Feeds that his team are “almost done booking the lineup” for next year’s UNIFY event.

“It’s creative and awesome, and we even took some risks we think are going to be incredible for our audience,” he said.

Logemann’s comments come after he said he has “zero interest” in any criticism of the lineup planned for the Victorian festival, which has previously faced criticism regarding gender diversity.

Logemann took to Twitter this morning to say he won’t be engaging with any criticism of what organisers have in store.

“If anyone criticises the Unify Gathering lineup this year for any reason what so ever, just know that I am blocking their opinion and have zero interest in what they have to say,” he said.

https://twitter.com/lukelogemann/status/1011733719378374657

Logemann drew some criticism for his comment, given the current debate surrounding gender diversity on festival lineups.

Huge fan of the festival my dude but this is a very not great thing to read. If every booker said that about their event then the fight for equality and representation would probably never end and that's a pretty sucky thing?

— Bridget Hustwaite (@BHustwaite) June 26, 2018

Logemann later clarified in a follow-up tweet, saying, “I was actually thinking more about the diversity in the lineup musically to be honest BUT we’ll never stop thinking about equality and diversity on stage as well. Statement from last year stands as always!”

I was actually thinking more about the diversity in the lineup musically to be honest BUT we'll never stop thinking about equality and diversity on stage as well. Statement from last year stands as always!

— Luke Logemann (@lukelogemann) June 26, 2018

In 2016, UNIFY Gathering responded to concerns from music fans after naming only two female musicians on its 2017 lineup.

In August 2017, ahead of their 2018 lineup announcement, organisers issued a lengthy statement about gender diversity, and increased the number of females represented on their lineup.

Earlier this month, Logemann announced that UNIFY Gathering 2019 will take place between Thursday, 10th and Sunday, 13th January.

UNIFY Gathering organisers began “first drafts” of their 2019 lineup in January this year, before UNIFY Gathering’s General Manager suggested that organisers are considering expanding the festival’s crowd capacity by thousands in 2019 and 2020, after it sets up camp at a new home early next year.

The 2018 UNIFY Gathering lineup featured the likes of Parkway Drive, Architects, The Amity Affliction and Tonight Alive.