Spilt Milk festival finds new home in Geelong

One of Victoria’s biggest annual music events is heading to Geelong later this year, with Spilt Milk to call the city home until at least 2030.

Organisers announced on Wednesday GMHBA Stadium and the Kardinia Park precinct would host the Victorian leg of the festival under a five-year agreement.

The move ends Ballarat’s run as the Victorian host, with the festival first held there in 2019.

Kicks Entertainment director and co-founder Ryan Sabet said Geelong was the perfect stage for the festival’s next five years in Victoria.

He thanked the City of Greater Geelong and Visit Victoria for backing the event.

“Their support means we can keep proving that a world-class festival doesn’t need a capital city and keep bringing tens of thousands of young people to regional Victoria every December,” Sabet said.

Last year’s edition was headlined by Kendrick Lamar, attracted almost 39,000 people and generated an estimated $17.2 million in economic benefit for the city.

Spilt Milk is also staged in Perth, Canberra and the Gold Coast and has attracted a high-profile lineup of international and Australian acts, including sombr, Doechii, Post Malone, Lorde, Flume and Childish Gambino.

Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said the festival had a track record of generating more than $46 million for the regional Victorian economy and attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

“They’ll fill our hotels, our restaurants and our waterfront, while plenty of them will discover a city worth coming back to,” he said.

“We’re proud to welcome Australia’s largest regional touring festival to Geelong for the next five years.”

Geelong MP Christine Couzens said bringing Spilt Milk to Geelong was a huge opportunity for the region’s youth.

“These kinds of experiences give them the chance to connect with friends, create lasting memories and enjoy world-class music close to home,” she said.

“I’m proud that Geelong is attracting these major events.”

Kardinia Park Stadium Trust chief executive Gerard Griffin said the trust remained committed to bringing a diverse mix of events to the stadium.

“To have Australia’s largest and most popular single-day music festival taking place at Kardinia Park Stadium and precinct is a significant moment for the community of Geelong,” he said.

The festival is usually held in December, but the date and lineup for this year’s event have not yet been announced.

To register for pre-sale tickets, head to spilt-milk.com.au