Open Mic attracts record numbers

LARGE crowds assembled in Aireys Inlet over the weekend for three days of live music featuring 150 performers.

In its fourteenth year running, the Aireys Inlet Open Mic Festival featured nine stages throughout the town including a main stage based at the Aireys Pub.

Marking the return of large-scale events to the township, the live music kicked off on March 12 at 7pm.

The action packed line up had eventgoers dancing to the sounds of both emerging and established acts up until 3pm on Sunday.

Festival director Marty Maher said this year’s event attracted some of the biggest crowds they had ever experienced.

“People were so starved of live music so right from the start it was packed,” he said.

The festival works off a unique business model where attendees choose to pay what they think it is worth making it a popular event amongst all ages.

Despite being a prominent event on the Surf Coast calendar, there were concerns the event would not go ahead.

“We had plenty of doubt, we didn’t know until about three weeks out especially after that last lockdown,” he said.

The Open Mic Festival was among the last events held in 2020 prior to restrictions and was one of the first to return to the region.

“We were the last major event to run before lockdown, which literally happened the next day after the 2020 festival,” he said.

“It feels like we are getting some normality back in our lives which was lost on no one.

“It was really good to see the massive crowds following a difficult year.”

As always, the event attracts visitors not only for the vibrant atmosphere and emerging artists but for the promise of a surprise act which has included the likes of Tash Sultana in the past.

To the crowds delight, this year’s mystery performance came from Joe Camilleri and the Black Sorrows.

The ARIA Hall of Famer and his band gave the crowd a taste of their 18 albums including those that reached triple platinum and gold sales.

“They loved it,” Mr Maher said.

“It was absolutely packed we had a line of about 200 trying to get in that had to listen from over the fence.

“It’s such a great tradition to end the festival on a high.”