Hello Sunshine, an all new music and food festival coming to the historic Caribbean Gardens at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges on 11 February.
Produced by one of Australia’s most prolific entertainment companies, Lucky Ent., the new family-friendly event is the first ever festival to be held at Caribbean Gardens, the home of fun for the South Eastern suburbs since the 1960s. The day festival will be set around the iconic Lake Caribbean, once home to Moomba.
Festival goers will be treated to an epic line-up of music headlined by Aria Award winning artist of the moment Amy Shark, joined by multi-platinum icons The Cat Empire, Murray ‘The Original Red Wiggle’ in his first DJ set, legendary Melbourne hip-hop artist 360, folk/rock duo Pierce Brothers, entertainment DJ Yo! Mafia and singer-songwriter Cadence.
Lucky Ent. is thrilled to announce new acts to the line up: high energy drag queen DJ duo Jawbreakers, the world’s oldest rocking DJs Rockafellas and 18-year-old Cambodian Australian singer-songwriter and Tiktok star Ally Rendall.
The festival grounds will be jam packed with amusement rides, Melbourne’s best multicultural food trucks, a fireworks display, over 40 unique market stalls, face painting and appearances from the likes of Elsa and Spiderman.
“Lucky Ent is really excited to be launching the first ever Hello Sunshine music and food festival at the iconic Caribbean Gardens. We’ve been able to assemble a line up of some of Australia’s most loved music acts, including many who are local to the South Eastern suburbs,” says Luke Udorovic, Director of Lucky Ent. The Cat Empire, Pierce Brothers, Cadence and 360 are all local to the region, and started their careers playing in local bars and venues.
Following her hugely successful ‘See U Somewhere’ Australian tour and recent appointment as a judge on the new season of Australian Idol, Amy Shark is thrilled to be a part of the new festival.
Australian icons The Cat Empire will perform their first Victorian set as a new line up, led by two of the band’s three original members Felix Riebl and Ollie McGill. The Cat Empire’s new show will celebrate movement, vibrancy, and playfulness – with a host of new material as well as crowd-favourites.
Murray Cook, better known as The Original Red Wiggle, is set to premiere his DJ skills to Hello Sunshine’s audience of up to 10,000.
“I am very excited to be moving into the world of DJing, it’s great to connect with the fans that grew up with The Wiggles in a different way,” says Murray.
Melbourne’s own ARIA Award nominated hip-hop artist, 360, who will be making his long awaited return to the stage, performing his first show in almost four years.
Folk/rock duo Pierce Brothers will bring their high energy sounds to the Hello Sunshine stage, and will perform their new single set to drop on 20 January. Acoustic artist Cadence and internationally renowned entertainment DJ Yo! Mafia rounds out the stellar lineup of live music acts that will keep the summer vibes going all day long.
The lineup of food trucks is characterised by local owner-operators that represent the diverse cultures of the South East Melbourne community. From Melbourne’s first and only Uruguayan steak sandwich ‘Chivito’ food truck El Chivi, to retro slow-cooked BBQ icons Smokeyboiz, Cypriot cuisine purveyors Cypriot Street Grill, the travelling Middle Eastern Hamsa Hummus Bar and more.
Lucky Ent. saw a gap in the market for a festival that catered to a demographic that was once in the thick of it, and now have families, live in the area and still want that festival experience they once loved.
“Many of the team at Lucky Ent have young families these days, and a lot of us also live in the South Eastern suburbs. This type of daytime festival hybrid is perfect for people of all ages and walks of life looking for an affordable experience,” says Keiran Dole, Partner at Lucky Ent.
The festival is presented in partnership with The Fox, and is supported by Pirate Life, Canadian Club, Jim Beam, Ticketek, AfterPay and Knox Council.
What: Hello Sunshine – Music and Food Festival
When: Saturday 11 February, 2023, 1pm-11pm
Where: Caribbean Gardens, 1280 Ferntree Gully Road, Scoresby
Tickets on sale now via www.hellosunshinefest.com.au
