About Strawberry

Strawberry Fields was founded in 2009 by a trio of young dreamers. With less than 1,000 attending the inaugural three day event in East Gippsland, Strawberry Fields has now grown to attract 10,000 patrons from across the globe and has solidified its reputation as one of Australia’s best known art, music & camping festivals. After a decade at various venues surrounding Tocumwal, the festival now takes place each summer at its permanent home “The Wildlands” - a 300ha private property only 15 minutes from Tocumwal township, featuring over 1km of direct frontage to the iconic Murray River. With customised sustainable infrastructure in place, attendees can bask in the revelry of four days of live music, large scale art, workshops, and wild river swimming in one of the most stunning natural environments Australia has to offer.

OUR MISSION

Acknowledge traditional owners & facilitate opportunities for First Nations artists

The land on which the festival occurs forms a sacred part of the territories of the Yorta Yorta Nation. We acknowledge that the sovereignty of the Yorta Yorta peoples was not ceded, and colonial impacts to their people and land continues until this day. As guests on this land, we ask that all visitors to the festival recognise how privileged we are to host the event in such a special place along Dhungala (Murray River) — together we must commit to treat this priceless place with respect. We are also committed to facilitating opportunities for Yorta Yorta & other First Nations artists to perform at the festival, and are privileged to have previously hosted performances by DRMNGNOW, Yothu Yindi, Briggs, Allara, Kee’Ahn & Paul Gorrie.

Celebrate & protect the wild Australian bush

The end of November marks the beginning of summer, and with it comes an undeniable urge to indulge in a great Australian past time – camping out and enjoying the beauty of the bush. This is an experience that all who attend Strawberry Fields truly value – leaving the trappings of everyday life for a weekend enjoying nature. It also means we have a fundamental commitment to protecting our natural environment and ensuring sustainability is a top priority in all aspects of event design. After implementing 100% composting toilets, grey water filtration systems integrated with permaculture gardens, and Australia’s first 100% reusable crockery system for 10,000 patrons at a multi-day greenfield festival, Strawberry Fields was been awarded A Greener Festival’s Water & Sanitation award.

Create a unique environment for showcasing art, music & workshops

A big part of Strawberry Fields is creating a space that emphasises the unique and exceptional qualities of the art and music displayed at the event. We aim to showcase creative & dynamic experiences in the beautiful setting of the Australian bush – whether it’s a secret beach, a sunken tea lounge, a suspended gallery or the stages themselves, every structure and space is dreamed and designed for exploration.

Provide a platform for young, local & upcoming talent

Over 150 local and international musicians and artists display their work at Strawberry Fields. We continue to be amazed at the wealth of local musical and creative talent in Australia and believe the focus should be as much on the headliners as the unknowns. From the hundreds of anonymous submissions, we receive each year, our panel carefully selects a series of up and coming artists to expose their work to thousands of their peers.

Deliver ongoing benefits for the local community

After a decade in Tocumwal we consider ourselves members of the local community and obligated to support it in every way possible, even extending benefits to those who do not want to attend the festival. Each year we set aside a portion of ticket sales for the Strawberry Fields Community Grants fund - with the fund dispersing up to $35,000 annually in microgrants to local community organisations and not for profits which would otherwise struggle to find other funding. All residents of the Berrigan Shire are entitled to purchase festival tickets at half price. The festival also enables a valuable fundraising opportunity for a coalition of local community organisations via the Chillin’n’Grillin Community BBQ which, staffed by volunteers, raises up to $30,000 annually.

REVIEWS

Voted Top 10 Festivals in The World (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019) - Resident Advisor

“Levelling the field: The music festival offering a low-income discount" - Sydney Morning Herald

“The atmosphere and arts were constant, with the trees providing the perfect canvas for the projections on darkened leaves at night. Strawberry Fields lived up to its internationally renowned reputation with hundreds from across the globe travelling to Tocumwal just for the event.” - Southern Riverina News

“A perfectly curated escape hidden deep in the bush.” - Mixmag

“One for the bucket list for sure. Check out our eight reasons why Strawberry has mastered the festival model.” - Beat Magazine

“Organisers have hit on an inclusive approach, through a program offering heavily discounted tickets to music fans who otherwise wouldn’t have the resources to attend.” - Industry Observer