With its tropical climate, magnificent beaches and seemingly never-ending string of National Parks and waterfalls, there’s no better escape from the Australian winter than Darwin.
Add a visit to Darwin’s favourite music festival, BASSINTHEGRASS, which is back for its 20th year anniversary on Saturday 20th May, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a trip. After hosting a record 16,000 people in 2022, this year’s event brings with it another ridiculously good line-up of music, food, sunsets and culture on traditional Larrakia country.
To kick-start your planning, we’ve rounded up our ultimate guide to this iconic Northern Territory festival.
The Location
What makes BASSINTHEGRASS so unique is its oceanside location at Mindil Beach. Just a few minutes’ drive from the CBD, it’s easy to hop on a plane to Darwin, settle into your accommodation, then make your way to the festival site without a long commute or lengthy queues for buses. Once you’ve spotted the palm trees hovering under crystal blue skies and thousands of people enjoying an ice cold bevy by the beach, you’ll know you’ve found the spot.
Yes, there’s the two main stages where you’ll catch all the big hitters performing. But throughout the day, there’s also entertainment on the beach and, to top it all off, a sunset beach club where you can dance in the sand as the sun slips into the sea.
The Music
Every year, BASS attracts an insane line-up of top talent and some of the biggest names in Australian music.
Find your spot in the mosh pit and lose yourself in hours of non-stop entertainment from acts including Amy Shark, Angus & Julia Stone, Guy Sebastian, Baker Boy, Babe Rainbow, Ocean Alley, Peach PRC, The Presets, San Cisco, Spacey Jane, Tones and I and more. Check out the whole 2023 line-up here.
The Food
Sure, you’ll come for the music – but you’ll also love the incredible food. It’s easy to forget that Darwin is just a hop, skip and jump from Asia, and festival goers are spoilt for choice with a range of exciting international foods on offer at the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. It’s a Darwin rite of passage to check out the dozens of stalls, tasting everything from crocodile burgers to laksas and bánh mì. The hardest part? Deciding what to try first.
The Activities
Aside from all your favourite music and drool-worthy food, BASSINTHEGRASS is also known for packing the festival with sick experiences. Previous years saw fun-packed silent discos, basketball jams, drag shows and more. It’s safe to say, you’ll never be bored.
The Adventure
The beauty of a one-day festival is you’ll have time up your sleeve to explore the area and check out some of the amazing local attractions. In the lead up to the big day, pile your mates into a hire car and head just over an hour south to Litchfield National Park. There you’ll find, among others, the gorgeous Florence Falls set amongst a tropical forest, Wangi Falls with its double waterfalls, the cascading Tolmer Falls and the natural baths at Buley Rockhole. If you’re up for a bit more adventure, take a dip with crocs at Crocosaurus Cove in the CBD, or jump on a jet ski to zip across Darwin Harbour. Bucket-list? Tick, tick, tick.
Haven’t got your tickets to BASSINTHEGRASS yet? Final Release tickets for 2023 are available now. For more info head here.
BASSINTHEGRASS
Saturday, May 20th, 2023
Mindil Beach, NT
Tickets: Final release $140
