Somewhere over the rainbow – beyond Kanye’s head – was a magical land rumoured to be setting for the “best Splendour in the Grass yet”.
Exploding with strobe lit forests, haunted houses and a giant, unmistakably holy, Kanye x Rainbow art piece (branded as our unofficial meeting point over the weekend), Splendour had the grass-hoppers instantly loose from the moment they stepped onto the festival grounds. Well, that and the perfectly constructed line-up that appealed to absolutely anybody with an ounce of taste. The festival atmosphere was infectious, urging people to branch out and connect with one another over spilt beer and cries of “aaarrrriiiibaaaa!!” that rippled like a domino effect through the crowds.
FRIDAY
Early Friday, and first to feed our appetites, was classic soul six piece Winston Surfshirt – a band who practically christened the Mix Up stage with romantic energy when they launched into fresh cut “Be About You“. The hit had the crowd swaying, a movement which flowed out of the tent and onto the surrounding grassland as everyone sang “don’t know how I feel about you”. Spirits were high as everyone settled into the first day, with pre-planned outfits and tinnies making an appearance.
Over on the Main Stage, Ocean Grove held the floor like the badasses they are, consuming the stage and hosting a guest appearance from Melbourne-based prodigy Running Touch. Folk singer-songwriter Vera Blue later brought a level of tranquility back to the Mix Up stage as she performed with a gentle reference to Florence And The Machine, entertaining a growing audience as she tapped into her new album Mended – exclusively released that day.
Owning the McLennon stage Friday afternoon was American new riser Maggie Rogers. With Pharrell Williams already admitting to falling in love with her talent, she didn’t fail to deliver at Splendour. A sea of phone torches covered the fields as she took the stage with the track that kickstarted her fame – “Alaska”.
Later in the day came a Swindail sandwich as he took the Mix Up stage twice, mixing Disclosure, Gold Link, Missy Elliott and renowned track “Summer Fruits” – to name but a few. Closing Friday on the main stage was The XX, pulling out an explosive performance that sent the Aussie-dominant crowd wild, particularly when Jamie XX dabbled with his own mixes throughout the set. The Brits finished the day with their hit “Angels”, a sentimental ode to Australia, leaving the crowd in a hot frenzy – something which aided the drastic temperature drop to 8 degrees after sunset.
SATURDAY
Bag Raiders were first on our hit list on Saturday, nailing the Mix Up stage for the very first time. Celebrating their return after new found fame, the return comes straight off the back of the ‘Shooting Star’ meme that broke the internet. The weather had unsurprisingly delivered, and both fresh and decaying glitter was spread across the crowds, twinkling in the sunshine as revellers threw themselves into the Bag Raider experience.
Future Islands bossed the Main Stage with growling bass lines and jolted lighting as the sun went down, just ahead of Northern boys Catfish and The Bottlemen. Their performance got crowds moshing, delving into an alt-rock indulgence, smashing their hits “Cocoon” and “Kathleen” out to the rough audience.
Photograph: Jess Gleeson/Splendour in the Grass
Stealing our hearts and minds all over again, Two Door Cinema Club shut down the show at the Mix Up stage. Making two appearances at Splendour, Two Door took to both the Mix Up stage and the Samsung Press Party (where they hosted a kick-ass DJ set). The band toyed with our heartstrings, playing each and every hit we’ve grown to know and love. “Something Good Can Work” was a particular highlight for the audience, encouraging girls across the tent to bop on the shoulders of their male friends, creating a euphoric movement to close another magical day.
Tove Lo – Photograph: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images
SUNDAY
As the last day struck, One Stop got loose at the McLennon stage, where we found Pond who took us back to psychedelia. The entire set felt like an acid stimulated whirlwind, with Elvis’ “Flaming Star” blasting over the crowds. Pond’s Nick Allbrook could be found leaning into the crowds, sending everyone into a frenzy, and creating what felt like an electric current buzzing through to the tent. Bohemian queen, Meg Mac, followed up from the hedonism with a touching set to break us out of the craziness, which was a beautiful sight to behold. Dressed in an all-white suit and fedora, she had the crowd bowling over at her harmonic sound.
Photograph: Savannah van der Niet/Splendour in the Grass
The final two acts of our trip included legends LCD Soundsystem over at the Main Stage and Bonobo at the Mix Up stage. LCD were electric, with red lighting complimenting their sound perfectly and crowds going mad as they let out “Daft Punk is Playing At My House“. James Murphy is living proof that once a rockstar, forever a rockstar, blowing Splendour away with his polished voice and keyboard skills. On the flip side, Bonobo boasted their electronic house sound – a complete change of scenery – but magical all the same, closing the weekend in style with a beautiful rendition of their track “Kerala“.
