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For anyone who’s been trying to have a good time in Sydney for the past seven years, after lockout laws marred the city’s nightlife, Airlie Beach is a bit of a culture shock.
The once sleepy seaside town has been widely known for its position as a major launching pad to the Great Barrier Reef and the spectacular Whitsunday Islands, but it has hardly been comparable to a major city.
So when I arrived in town for the Airlie Beach Music Festival in early November, I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew the place was reliant on tourism and hit hard by the Covid lockdowns so I thought maybe there would be some places closed.
Well I was wrong.
Instead, what I found was a thriving city bursting with music, activity and fresh energy, with there is no indication that the locals had been fighting as hard just a year earlier.
Pictured: Revelers dancing in the moshpit at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music in November
King’s Cross main street, which used to be bustling with music and activity, is shown empty on a Saturday night.
Police have been known to enter pubs with sniffer dogs. Left and right: Police officers with dogs in Sydney bars
The festival took place from November 4 to 6 and featured bands such as Eskimo Joe, Jon Stevens, Bee Lee, Rogue Traders, Mi-Sex and The Badloves, with Sarah McLeod, the lead singer of Australian band Superjesus, the event’s ambassador.
The Animals, a 1960s band from the UK, stood out: they performed I Put A Spell On You, House Of The Rising Sun and Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood on the festival’s main stage, overlooking the Whitsunday Islands .
Ben Lee performed the hits Catch My Disease and Gamble Everything For Love, before handing out Iced VoVos to the audience and campaigning for marijuana legalization.
The crowd went wild when Eskimo Joe performed their 2006 hit, Black Nails Red Wine.
And that was only on the main stage of the festival: the real magic happened in the city, where live music to spill from all the bars and restaurants on the strip from lunch time until late at night.
Airlie Beach is known for its position as a major launching pad for the Great Barrier Reef and the spectacular Whitsunday Islands. In the photo: the main stage of the festival, under the tent.
The Rogue Traders, including lead singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte, pictured performing at the festival.
There was something new to discover around every corner: a new band, a new place to eat, or (apparently) the best mojitos in the world at Fish D’Vine Restaurant and Rum Bar.
For anyone coming from Sydney, it was a stark reminder of what the country’s most populous city has lost, even in a city that really struggled to stay afloat amid lockdowns.
While Sydney does have a few surviving nightspots, they are few and far between and it’s incredibly rare to see revelers moving as freely between venues as at Airlie Beach.
Not once did I see cops walking the streets in droves, or intimidating doormen by blocking the entrance to every venue, wearing so much security gear you’d think it was a movie scene.
No one was outwardly violent or angry, and I didn’t see anyone being turned away or kicked out for dancing too vigorously.
The crowd went wild as Eskimo Joe performed his 2006 hit, Black Fingernails Red Wine (pictured)
People of all ages attended the Airlie Beach Music Festival in November. The event will return to the town next year.
The atmosphere was upbeat and there were revelers of all ages: the youngest were around 16 and the oldest were in their 70s.
Generation X was probably the majority and no one shied away from the mosh pit on the festival’s main stage.
The fact that the The festival that only started on the main stage in the afternoon was not a problem either; If anything, the late start only gave ticket holders time to partake in all that Airlie Beach has to offer.
The festival
The festival is in its tenth year and was recently crowned People’s Choice festival of the year at the Queensland Music Awards.
But it’s not like any other music festival: this one comes with stunning sea views from the main tent at the Whitsunday Sailing Club.
There are so many bars, cafes and restaurants in the city, and each one was full of music and activity during the festival. Don’t you like music in a pub? Pop to the side and see what’s going on next.
Ben Lee is pictured performing at the Airlie Beach Music Festival. He handed out frozen vovos to the members of the crows
Sarah McLeod, the lead singer of Superjesus, was the ambassador for the event. She is pictured performing on the main stage.
Venues around town also gave up-and-coming local bands the chance to play in front of a live audience. Many performed in restaurants, such as the famous Fish D’Vine seafood restaurant, and in local hotel lobbies.
The restaurants and cafes were full most of the time, but the owners kept the doors and windows open so that people passing by could stop and listen to the music on the street.
In total, some 3,000 people flocked to the tent every night to listen to their favorite bands, and it wasn’t just Generation Z.
In fact, I would say that most of the people who packed the venues and partied in the streets were in their 40s and 50s. Many were there for the headline acts at the festivals, but were still happy to cheer on bands made up of younger generation musicians.
There were security guards at the bigger nightspots, like Magnums, the busiest bar in the city, with an impressive beer garden and indoor stage, but the bouncers didn’t have the Sydney-style aggressiveness that many have come to expect. have become tragically accustomed.
They didn’t have walkie talkies, they didn’t use computers to scan people’s faces, they weren’t in the habit of asking how many drinks someone had had, they weren’t wearing hi-vis vests, or generally looking for reasons. to kick people out.
Although this year’s event has ended, advance tickets they are available for 2023. The event will take place from November 9 to 12.
In total, some 3,000 people came to the tent every night to listen to their favorite bands, and it wasn’t just Generation Z.
From the sky
The best way to see the region’s 74 islands and the Great Barrier Reef is from above.
Ocean Rafting offers a 60-minute scenic flight around the Whitsunday Islands, over picturesque Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet before heading to the reef.
During the flight, the pilot recounts fun facts, including the fact that Captain James Cook thought he had arrived on the islands on Easter Sunday, also known as Whitsunday.
However, it was in the 1700s and there was no international deadline, so he got there on Easter Monday or Whit Monday.
The Great Barrier Reef is shown from above. Visitors to Airlie Beach can view the reef on a small plane, operated by Ocean Rafting
If you’re still following along, you’ll have figured out that it essentially means that the Whitsunday Islands should actually be called the Whitmonday Islands.
In any case, the views are stunning from this incredibly small plane and you’ll be showing off the photos and videos of white silica sand swirling around the turquoise sea to your friends and family forever.
Another way to see the region from above is by jumping out of a plane and free-falling from 15,000 feet above sea level, also known as skydiving.
Skydiving Australia organizes dives at Airlie Beach and Whitehaven Beach, and the views are stunning.
Skydiving Australia organizes dives at Airlie Beach and Whitehaven Beach (pictured)
From sea
Snorkeling around the reef is a must if you go to Airlie Beach.
The Ocean Rafting team takes you and 15 other people on a 12 meter super fast inflatable boat, which basically means it won’t sink.
The team blasts music from the speakers, takes pictures so you don’t have to hold your camera, and makes you laugh while making you feel safe.
Guests are given a stinger suit to avoid unwanted encounters with jellyfish, before the boat stops at various snorkeling spots around the reef so you can swim with fish and sea turtles.
You can also walk along the famous Whitehaven Beach and have lunch while looking out over the reef.
Life jackets and pool floats are issued to anyone lacking in confidence in the water, so this is an experience everyone can enjoy.