I Love it - UFO’s, Pictures all at The Waterfront Festival.

Sneaky Sound System fans, get ready for your free concert.

As we edge toward the end of summer, live music in Frankston is only just heating up.
For the first time, Australian dance music icons, Sneaky Sound System, will be taking to the Garden Bar Stage at the Waterfront Festival (19-20 Feb). The Garden Bar Stage is one of three live music stages across the entire site that this year now includes the Frankston Waterfront and Long Island Reserve.

This huge, end of summer celebration is sure to get your heart beating with over 50 live acts. Let us introduce you to the artists, tunes and rhymes you can get amongst. Dancing encouraged.

Garden Bar Stage
Making you feel like you are always in the middle of Summer, the Garden Bar Stage is your go-to for live music with a drink in hand across the weekend.

Headlining at 8.40pm, before the fireworks at 9.45pm, Sneaky Sound System brings a mix of house music, from slow chugging disco burners to groove laden techno stormers on Saturday 19 February. Casting your memory back to 2006 Sneaky released their self-titled, 3 x platinum debut album. Spearheaded by a spectacular salvo of chart topping hits – UFO, Pictures and I Love It – Sneaky Sound System won ARIA Awards for Breakthrough Artist and Best Dance Release, the first of 14 nominations to-date.

More recently the past few years have seen Sneaky releasing music more akin to the sound of their weekly parties held around the world, like Summertime Madness, All I Need Is You and I Ain’t Over You.

Just after Sneaky finish their set, stick around for the fireworks display projected off the end of the pier at 9.45pm. Best viewing spots can be found here.

 But Sneaky isn’t the only reason to head to The Waterfront Festival.

Miss Lizzy & The Night Owls, a Melbourne based sextet, will be hitting the stage at 7.45pm with their Soul Rock’n’Roll. Think along the lines of Aretha backed by The Rolling Stones.

The band have a love of live performance with a chemistry on stage that has seen them play venues like The Thornbury Theatre, The Spotted Mallard, The Penny Black, residencies at The LuWow and festivals including Moomba (2017), The Queen Vic Night Market and Yarraville Festival. Find some space and get ready to rock and roll with Miss Lizzy & The Night Owls.

It will be all about the music with Soul Sacrifice, Australia’s premier Santana band, taking to the stage at 6.15pm.This 7 piece band are very excited to be coming to Frankston and likewise we are excited to have them. Their Latin rock, jazz, funk, and Latin soul grooves and rhymes will be infectious, you wait!

The Garden Bar Stage kicks off at 12pm. So settle in early and let the Saturday acts including Andrew Wishart, The Chris Commerford Band, Sanctuary Duo, Pia Nesvara and Mariah McCarthy warm you up across the day.

Well that’s your Saturday afternoon and night sorted.

Now let’s bring on a good ol’ Sunday session as the Waterfront Festival.

We’ll provide the bar and the beats, you just need to come along for the good times.

If you’re into a bit of vintage aussie rock, a touch of 90’s nostalgia head down to the Garden Bar Stage on Sunday around 4pm to get the best seats in the house for the 1990s Southern Sons star and eight-time Gold and APRA award-winner Jack Jones (Heart in Danger). Then kick on at 5.45pm with Australian songwriter Gretta Ziller and stay around for the sun setting whilst listening to award-winning country artist Andrew Swift commencing at 7pm.

Beers and beverages all weekend long will be flowing from our friends The Cheeky Squire, Chirping Bird Wines, Frankston Brewhouse and Mr Little Cider with the festival concluding at 10pm Saturday and 8pm Sunday.

Other artist highlights on the Garden Bar Stage on Sunday are Spirit Lines, Makepisi and Nick Charles.

The Garden Bar Stage is proudly presented by The Cheeky Squire

Ventana Fiesta Stage
Want something a little more cultural? Or a DJ? Head over to the Ventana Fiesta Precinct. Think colour, movement and celebration of over 25 countries where indigenous traditions and folklore merge and shine with non-indigenous cultures. The vibrant festival provides genuine experiences through dance, music, food, visual art, literature, sport, crafts and educational workshops.

On Saturday or Sunday you can catch traditional Brazilian, Cuban, Chilean music or a workshop or just sit back and chill with cocktail in-hand nearby the resident DJ!

Emerging Artist Stage
Ever thought about where the likes of ‘Tones and I’ began? Well it was busking not far from Frankston.

This year the Waterfront Festival in collaboration the local youth services are bringing the ‘Emerging Artist Stage’ to life featuring 20 of our favourite local artists.

Come down and support our local acts and artists in their infancy. You never know, you might even witness a ‘Tones and I’ in the making!

The Emerging Artist Stage will include acts from Ethan Freemantle, Karu Handoyo, BayZa Leslie, Chaliah, Sanctuary Duo, Velvet Bloom, Charlotte MacKenzie, Sunny Moo, Bridget Allan and the Beast of Virtuest amongst many more.

The full line-up for Saturday and Sunday across all three stages can be found HERE.

Live music is just the beginning of the Waterfront Festivals. Make a weekend of it and explore the other experiences on offer including, garden bars, rides, food trucks, family activities and more.

No matter the act you are chasing, don’t come late, be early to get the best spot in the house. Capacity limits apply, first in best dressed.

Follow Discover Frankston or The Waterfront Festival on Facebook for live updates.  

Waterfront Festival
19-20 February, 12-10pm Saturday and 12-8pm Sunday
Frankston Waterfront
waterfrontfestival.com.au

Main picture: Invest Frankston and Craig Moodie.