Get ready. South Side Festival is set to illuminate Frankston

With sell out performances in 2022, South Side Festival is back!

Held Friday 5 May - Sunday 14 May, with a program of more than 60 artists, heading up over 30 events and experiences, this festival is offering a cheeky, playful and moving mix of illuminating lights, emotive moments, a good laugh and a sense of adventure.  

Designed to stimulate imaginations, transform perceptions, excite and entice, this ten day celebration is on track to be an experience that lucky attendees won’t soon forget

With so much happening, it can be hard to know where to start.

Here’s is a peak into what you can experience so you can start planning your festival fortnight.

Ready to be ILLUMINATED?

Playing on our love for the visually fabulous, South Side’s LuminoCity features three immersive experiences that will take you on a journey from an interactive sea, to a dazzling installation and finally, an underground digital playground. Featuring White Night favourites, Skunk Control, internationally renowned lighting superstars, Mandylights, and South Australia’s sensational Patch Theatre.

PLEXUS Journey underground and experience the ultimate family-friendly rave. Enter Plexus: an underground level of a suburban carpark, transformed into the disco of your dreams..Be surrounded with a light show that lives, breathes and pulses and groove through a soundtrack, choreographed to an ever-changing lighting display.  Stay for a 20 minute dance, or chill out and capture it for longer - Plexus is a place to let loose and and have some fun. Please note: you must provide your own dance moves...

Plexus is a part of LuminoCITY experience. Don't miss creating pictures with Sea Of Light or being mesmerised by the art exhibition A Persistent Presumption. All ages. Children accompanied by an adult.

**Entry assembly point to this event is located in the FAC Foyer. May 5-14, various session times. All ages. Book Here

Sea of Light (Patch Theatre)  Embark on a journey of light and imagination through a journey of an illuminating sea. With a UV torch as your paintbrush, paint and stencil your very own sea voyage. Steer ships that leave glowing paths of light in their wake as you sail them across the sea floor. May 5-14, various session times. All ages. Book Here

Persistent Presumption  These large scale art works will give you plenty of ooh and ah moments. Created by White Night faves Skunk Control, they’re best seen at night to make the most of the bright, dramatic colours they’ll illuminate. May 5-14. All ages

Liminal Treats (Scratch Arts) Taking place inside Plexus, Liminal Treats is a unique blend of theatre, dance, and experimental art, designed to transport audiences into the unknown. This one-of-a-kind journey, you’ll be treated as a first-class future-viewing tourist taking audiences through a portal in time and space, offering a playful and surreal exploration of humanity's evolution in the next 100, 1,000, and 10,000 years.  “This is left-of-centre, absurdist humour that will make you frown, laugh, be surprised, and come away with something to think about.” - Glam Adelaide. May 6 + 7. All ages (PG). Book Here

 Want to be MOVED?

SILENCE Described as 'electrical, powerful... and riveting', SILENCE is a is an inspiring, First Nations Australian work, developed on rich and raw grounds with the light and shade of visual storytelling in dance, dialogue, and percussion.  Silence choreographer Thomas E.S.Kelly says, “SILENCE interprets what a 250 plus year long denial of meaningful listening to First Nations people has done to the psyche of the people and land. Brown feet kick up sand, earth, dirt, and dust. The sand seeps through brown fingers as it always has. Always was, always will be,”. Friday 5 May. Ages 12+. Book Here 

That song changed my life Direct from performing at Sydney WorldPride 2023, jazz singer, cabaret artiste & gender transcendent diva, Mama Alto, will debut her new production, That Song Changed My Life.  Most of us have that song which means so much to us, that played represents at a pivotal moment or time in our lives. What’s your song? Friday 12 May. Ages 16+. Book Here 

Big Bao: MELD. Melding music and movement, this performance reflects the complexities of relationships and conflict from the perspective of a person of colour struggling to find a place to belong.  Taking place within Plexus, the performance alternates between vocals and music with Big Bao’s resident DJ cooking setting the mood to open and close the show. Saturday 13 May. Ages 14+. Book Here 

Need a good LAUGH?

Melb International Comedy Fest Roadshow  Australia’s biggest and best comedy festival is hitting the road for a huge 25th year! Featuring the best and brightest of the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Get ready for a stellar line-up with Roadshow favourites alongside the most talked-about breakthrough stars of the moment, together in one jam-packed show that’s sure to leave the whole nation laughing. Sunday 7 May. Ages 15+. Book Here 

Garry Star Performs Everything Australian/British actor and comedian Damien Warren-Smith, and director Cal McCrystal (The Mighty Boosh, Paddington 1 & 2) prove one man truly can rule the stage in the award-winning production Garry Starr Performs Everything. Straight from his shows at the 2023 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, disgraced actor Garry Starr will defy his critics by performing every style of theatre imaginable, thus saving the performing arts from its inevitable extinction. Saturday 13 May. Ages 16+. Book Here 

Want to FEEL GOOD?

10 Minute Dance Parties is an all ages event that asks you to have as much fun as you can – with one catch: you only have 10 minutes to dance. And dance you will!  In this world wide phenomenon, expect world record attempts, dance move competitions, and ventures into the unknown. May 11 - 13. All ages. Book Here 

10 Minute Dance Parties closing ceremony. Bring your best dance moves, high kicks and shake it off with JOF and a host of young DJ’s from 10 MINUTE DANCE PARTIES who will bring an extended party for the closing night of South Side Festival inside PLEXUS. Sunday 14 May. All ages. Book Here 

The Funky Town – Her the Full Band HER are a Melbourne based six piece classic rock band, that melds hard rock, funk & soul with post punk influences.  Their live set is powerful, emotive and packed with anthem hooks.  They’ll be performing one night only during the festival so don’t miss them! Friday 12 May. Ages 18+. Book Here 

Little Beauty Market The gorgeous surrounds of this market lends itself to a relaxing meander & chat to local artisans, feast on delicious food & explore local beer, wine and gourmet producers. Once you're full to the brim of all the amazingness you can lounge on the lush, green lawns and soak up some amazing tunes by our hand - picked local musos. Bliss! A lovely way to support locals. Sunday 7 May. All ages

Would you like an ADVENTURE?

Street Art Torchlight Tours Experience street art from a new angle and a new light! Explore Frankston’s city centre by torchlight on this 1.5 hour guided tour and experience some of Melbourne's freshest street art created by local, Australian and international street art artists. 5 - 13 May, various sessions. All ages. Book Here 

Electric Garden Melbourne Digital Artist LuXvr presents the Electric Garden, exclusive for the South Side festival. This free event invites you to experience Frankston’s public spaces where art meets technology. Within walking distance of the Frankston Arts Centre you will find eleven animated digital sculptures with AR augmented reality virtual galleries. At each site your phone becomes a viewing portal into each experience. 5 - 14 May. All ages.

Game Day at South Sea Roller Derby Are you ready for a night jam-packed full of Roller Derby goodness to see not one, not two, but three games?! First up, it's our RED STARS (minimal-contact), then AMBER STARS (limited contact) & finish with a full-contact GREEN STAR/BOUTING LEVEL game. Sunday 7 May. All ages. Book Here 

Makeshift May-hem Get your deadly dose of mayhem in the mosh pit. Fresh Entertainment is bringing an epic line-up of heavy metal bands from all around Melbourne to Singing Bird Studios. Come along to Makeshift Mayhem for a night of live music jam packed with head bangers, promising you another hardcore Frankston experience you won’t forget. Friday 12 May. All ages. Book Now. 

Feeling peckish?

Many of our locals are offering some great pre and post show offers for when you're exploring the festival. Make sure you check them out! 

Hop Shop, Eeny Meeny, Frankston Brewhouse, General Public

There are so many incredible events that are part of the South Side festival, this is only a mere taste of what’s on offer.

To see the full event list, details and ticket info head to https://www.southsidefestival.com.au/  and make sure you’re following @discoverfrankston and @southsidefestivalfrankston for all the latest festival updates.