Summer starts here: Torquay’s Nightjar Festival is back

AFTER a four-year hiatus, the Nightjar Festival is set to return next month with a new format and jam-packed roster of live music and fun spanning two electrifying weeks.

The popular summer festival will be held at Torquay Common and will begin on January 4 with a stellar line-up of musical acts that includes Harry James Angus, the trumpet-playing vocalist from the Cat Empire, and First Nations storyteller and singer/songwriter Yirrmal.

On January 5, Brisbane-based rock outfit, Full Flower Moon Band will grace the stage, along with The Murlocs, a five-piece band known for their Surf Coast roots and distorted brand of soulful R&B.

Ash Grunwald will touch souls and rock the house for the festival’s third night on January 11, while rock/blues trio Vasco Era and country powerhouse Fanny Lumsden will close out the event on January 12.

But the Nightjar Festival has much more on offer than live music.

The event will include interactive and roving entertainment, workshops and speakers, along with an array of food vendors and market stalls.

Festival-goers can don headphones and dance the night away to the free silent disco and those over the age of 18 can enjoy beverages and brews from Blackmans Brewery, Great Ocean Road Gin and Flowstate Craft at one of the event’s boutique bars.

For the first time, Torquay will also host the Design Exchange Market, a thoughtfully curated event showcasing Australia’s inspiring independent designers, artists and creators.

Also located at Torquay Common, the beloved Ballarat fixture will be held on January 6 and 7 as part of the Nightjar Festival’s exciting new offering.

Tickets to the festival’s four nights of music and entertainment are now available for purchase online.

Every ticket purchased will be automatically entered into the draw to win one of two exciting local prizes, with a ’50s-inspired e-bike from Bair Bikes and a single fin surfboard from Babel Surfboards up for grabs.

Ticket holders who purchase their tickets online will also have the chance to win one of four $250 vouchers that can be redeemed at any food vendor or market stall throughout the Nightjar Festival.

To purchase tickets or find out more, head to nightjarfestival.com.au.