As St Kilda Festival prepares to celebrate its 40th year as Australia’s largest free music festival, it is thrilled to announce a very special anniversary guest when Icehouse Plays Flowers takes to the Main Stage on Sunday 9 February 2020.
One of Australia’s most iconic bands, Icehouse has played to sell-out audiences across the world, and for this exciting 40th anniversary will pay homage to its debut album as Icehouse Plays Flowers. Fronted by Iva Davies, Icehouse Plays Flowers will be a stand-out performance at St Kilda Festival – a nod to the event’s 40th anniversary when Iva and his band took the stage at the first ever St Kilda Festival in 1980 under the bandname, Flowers.
With over 3 million albums sold just locally, over 9 million sold internationally, sales exceeding 28 platinum albums in Australasia alone, eight top 10 albums and over thirty top 40 singles, Icehouse continue to perform to sold out concerts around Australia and New Zealand with Davies as its lead vocalist, songwriter and guitarist remaining the band’s creative heart and driving force. Festival-goers can celebrate a truly special milestone with Iva and this much loved band as they celebrate their milestone too.
The 40th iteration will also see other Festival favourites return to the stage, including The Black Sorrows – who will perform for the fourth time, as well as Stonefield who played the Push (youth) Stage in 2010 and the New Music Stage in 2011. The line-up is a real celebration of past highlights, with the likes of Busby Marou, REMI, Kylie Auldist and The Kite String Tangle all returning to the Festival.
Acland Plaza will be the place to get your fix of nostalgia with an outdoor photo exhibition with images of crowds and artists from the past 40 years, alongside DJs spinning a powerful set of tunes from the last four decades. Punters are also encouraged to take part in 80s dress up for the day – the more extreme, the better!
Since the first St Kilda Festival in 1980 a total of 1,524 artists have graced the multiple stages for a combined total of 1,995 performances. In this time an estimated 9.5 million+ people have attended the Festival, on track to reach 10 million in 2020.
The City of Port Phillip is excited for the 40th anniversary of St Kilda Festival and, as always, the jam-packed program promises to deliver a stellar line-up for a fun day out for everyone to enjoy.
“This year is a very special milestone and we couldn’t think of a better way to commemorate 40 years of the festival than to bring back an iconic band who played at the very first St Kilda Festival,” said Mayor of Port Phillip Bernadene Voss. “Icehouse fans span all generations and this performance will bring back some much-loved nostalgia.”
In the lead up, the Festival has produced a series of special 40th anniversary postcards using some of the favourite Festival posters over the last four decades. There are five different postcards to collect.
The 2020 St Kilda Festival will be held on Sunday 9 February. The diverse program features live Australian music and dance, workshops, carnival rides, sports demonstrations, community group activities, food and market stalls, extended business trading and family-friendly entertainment. For more information, and full line-up, visit: www.stkildafestival.com.au for details.
Image: Iva Davies fronts Icehouse Plays Flowers (supplied)