The Camping Festivals of Australia: Why it's so popular?
Our Australian Festival Camping Culture
Every summer, thousands of people head to Victoria’s fields, forests, and riversides for something bigger than just live music — they’re chasing a true escape. What makes these multi-day summer music festivals stand out is the mix of people they attract: tradies, corporate workers, uni students, recent high school graduates, and professionals all camping side by side, forgetting the daily grind for a few days.
With the cost of living in Victoria at record highs (a single person now spends upwards of $1,500–$2,000 per month excluding rent, and Melbourne house prices have jumped over 7% year-on-year), many people would rather spend $1,500–$2,000 on a 3–4 day festival than save for a house deposit that feels further out of reach each year.
I’ve been to these festivals myself, right up until last year, and I get it — these weekends are some of the best times you’ll ever have. No alarms. No work. No phone reception. Just you, your mates, nature, music, and a few good boogies over three or four days.
Why These Festivals Feel So Different
The beauty of Victoria’s music festivals is that having a boogie isn’t even mandatory. Some mornings, you wake up a bit slow and instead of racing to the stages, you just sit around your campsite with your friends and have a yarn. It’s one of the only places where slowing down feels natural.
The campsite is half the magic. Tents circled up, a marquee and camp table in the middle, an esky packed with drinks, and your mates drifting in and out all day. You unzip your tent, wander out barefoot, and there’s always someone at the table, up for a chat. Breakfast gets made, drinks are poured, and eventually, someone asks: “Boogie now or later?” Sometimes you hit a stage. Sometimes you just relax until it’s time for a nap before the night kicks off.
The Festivals Everyone Waits For
Victoria’s festival calendar is packed, but a few names stand out as summer staples:
Pitch Music & Arts – The go-to for techno and house fans, set in stunning bushland.
Beyond The Valley (BTV) – A massive New Year’s Eve celebration with stacked lineups and incredible stage production.
Strawberry Fields – A blend of music, art, and riverside camping with a community-driven vibe.
Falls Festival – A classic, mixing indie, rock, and electronic acts across coastal locations.
Each one delivers its own vibe, but they all share the same core: four days where time slows down, where you’re more present than you’ve been all year.
Why People Keep Choosing Festivals
For many, these multi-day music festivals feel like the sweet spot. They’re not a trip to Europe, but they still feel like a huge event — and while they’re not cheap, they won’t completely break your bank balance either.
More than anything, it’s about the escape. These festivals are some of the last places where you’re forced to disconnect. No emails. No Instagram scrolls. No constant notifications — just music, mates, naps, drinks, and a few good boogies under the open sky.
Getting There Without the Hassle
Most of these festivals are hours from Melbourne, which means planning your transport is just as important as packing your tent. Driving home after four days of dancing and drinking isn’t just stressful — it’s risky, with roadside testing and fatigue always a concern.
That’s why many people choose festival buses. Services like JCT Festival Transport offer direct suburban pick-ups, fixed pricing, and guaranteed return trips. You skip the stress, start the weekend early, and leave the driving to someone else.
Book Your Festival Bus TodayWhy It’s Worth Every Dollar
Whether it’s your first time or your fifth, these festivals are more than just music — they’re a reset button. For a few days, you get to switch off, laugh, nap, dance, eat, drink, and just exist.
If you’ve never been, make this summer the one. And if you have, you already know — you’ll be planning your next one before you’ve even unpacked your esky.
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