Image via Dan Kan // 

The full festival experience in virtual form…

With 19 days until Splendour XR goes live on the 24th and 25th of this month, we’ve gotten a cool insight into the virtual festival in all of its many attractions and activities. Of course, the main stages are what they are and will be host to everyone from Khalid, The Killers, Charli XCX, Tash Sultana and plenty more epic acts, but as always is the case with Splendour, there’s far more to the experience than just the music, and Splendour XR is helping to carry that onto the virtual realm.

Splendour XR will be host to The Forum, Global Village, Comedy Club, Tipi Forest and Little Splendour this year, all of which filled with diverse art offerings and acts that’ll keep your brain stimulated and might even open your eyes to a thing or two. They’re all quite diverse and unique, and so we’ll take you through each one of them to let you know exactly what you’re in for when you arrive at the virtual Byron Parklands later this month.

The Forum

A place to truly get your brain going and learn a bunch of fun facts that’ll blow your mind in four different ways, The Forum is a sick hub of knowledge filled with numerous diverse voices. Featuring everyone from politicians, poets, journalists, actors, writers, scientists and pretty much every type of person you can think of, it’ll definitely make you feel super mature and studious prior to going absolutely ham in front of your computer monitor for the music acts. The Forum have also managed to bag a former Federal Police Commissioner to speak this year along with a keynote speech by 2021 Australian of the year Grace Tame, which will definitely be an important listen. Catch up on some highlights from 2019 below.

Global Village

Get your zen on while immersing yourself in culture and mindfulness at the Global Village this year, giving your brain and body the momentary break they need to recharge and reboot. You’ll also get the chance to celebrate First Nations wisdom as you get deep on everything from bush tucker to meditation while opening your eyes to try, decolonisation, rewilding, storytelling, sound healing and spirituality. It doesn’t stop there however, as you’ll be able to get a deep dive into Taoist philosophy along with various types of performances encompassing spoken word, cabaret and more.

Comedy Club

Cure the midday woes and virtual-induced hangovers with some good old fashioned laughs at the Comedy Club, with some of Australia’s best comedic talent taking to the Splendour XR stage. Get their takes on the most trending topics in Australia and the world while laughing the ridiculousness of the past 18 months away as you indulge in some medicine-infused laughter.

Tipi Forest

A personal favourite, the Tipi Forest is legit haven for music lovers with a distinct focus on EDM and genre-bending. It’s all enhanced by the light shows, lasers and projections with psychedelic art, transporting you to another world within the virtual Splendour grounds. Definitely a place to get your dance on and kick on after the main music acts have concluded, needless to say, we’ll see you there.

Little Splendour

Of course Splendour XR isn’t leaving anyone out this year, ensuring fun for even the youngest of virtual attendees with Little Splendour. Filled with some of the nation’s biggest children’s bands and performers with a bunch of kid-friendly activities and adventures, it’s a proper escape for the younger festival goers, a good way to introduce them to one of the cornerstones of Aussie live music and entertainment.

Definitely something to look forward to for the end of the month. After you’ve gotten familiar with the programs for The Forum, Global Village, Comedy Club, Tipi Forest and Little Splendour, refresh your memory with the Main Stage lineups below and be sure to cop tickets here.

DAY 1 – KHALID
CHVRCHES. DENZEL CURRY. DUKE DUMONT. TASH SULTANA. MASKED WOLF. RUSS MILLIONS. BAND OF HORSES. PHOEBE BRIDGERS. LITTLE SIMZ. VIOLENT SOHO. AURORA. DUNE RATS. PINK SWEAT$. VERA BLUE. CLIENT LIAISON. GRIFF. POND. TAYLA PARX. METHYL ETHEL. THE CHATS. TRIPLE ONE. CAT & CALMELL. KING STINGRAY. THE SOUTHERN RIVER BAND
 
DAY 2 – THE KILLERS
CHARLI XCX. VANCE JOY. GRIMES METAVERSE (SUPER BETA). THE AVALANCHES. OF MONSTERS AND MEN. KAYTRANADA. JUNGLE. BLACK PUMAS. WHAT SO NOT. HOT DUB TIME MACHINE. MILLENNIUM PARADE. THE JUNGLE GIANTS. OCEAN ALLEY. KING GIZZARD & THE LIZARD WIZARD. SINÉAD HARNETT. HOLLY HUMBERSTONE. SPACEY JANE. CROOKED COLOURS. AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS. WAFIA. AVIVA. THE SNUTS. BAND-MAID. ZIGGY RAMO. GRETTA RAY