Every year, there is one concert that’s really worth it. One that I’m willing to break my self imposed rules to attend. Never has a festival had such an amazing line up of comedians, local favourites and the true heart of the suburb of st kilda.

The St Kilda festival is a celebrated and well loved event that never fails to impress. You see, I’ve always wanted to go to the Palais Theater. It’s a true icon of Melbourne and one that shouldn’t be missed. Now admittedly, if you’re in a rush, then by all chances, give this place a miss as you need a day in this beautiful place to get the most of the experience. The palais has seen many iterations and is currently undergoing some much deserved structural updates to ensure that it’s preserved for future generations. So if you’re a tourist with time on your hands or a local looking for something to do then ensure you make the palais a must see stop on your travels.

The festival itself was splendid. There were so many home grown talents that I hadn’t heard of and am ashamed to admit never even heard of. The delights of Vika and Linda Bull, Greg Champion, Uncle Jack Charles made my heart swell with pride at our talent. Never have I been so moved at a concert before. I guess, I wasn’t expecting it and it came as quite a surprise. One of my favourite bands also came on – the Melbourne Ska Orchestra. Their rendition of ‘Best things in life are free‘ has been used as the theme song for freeview (the digital channels in Australia that promise to be free). After that, I’ve been hooked. It was all thanks to Lewy, a good friend of mine from Scotland that got me into Ska but I never really kept up with the genre, falling back into the categories I know and love

In finding this local group, my love for ska was rekindled. And when I found out that they’d be performing at the festival, my mind was blown! The line up was well worth the entry fee. However, I can’t say that I paid for the tickets. I won them through work thanks to my volunteering efforts. So thanks work! However, I loved the festival so much that I decided to attend the festival next year by paying for the tickets. It was really that amazing.

Definitely a 4/5 in my books. And as I mentioned, if you want to experience the magic of the Palais, then ensure you make the time to do it. Don’t rush. It’s worth the slowed pace.

Palais Theatre