Rainbow Spirit Festival
Rainbow Spirit Festival, previously known as Rainbow Serpent Festival, is a four-day annual open-air music and arts festival that takes place during the Australia Day (26 January) long weekend, in Lexton, Victoria, 160 kilometres (99 mi) west of Melbourne, Australia. The festival is mainly known for its focus on electronic music, with psychedelic trance, minimal techno, and chill-out music on its main stage, but it now features music across many genres, many art installations, workshops, and other attractions such as market stalls, healing arts and multi-cultural foods. Approximately 12,000 people attend the festival each year.
Rainbow Spirit Festival
The music is presented over a number of separate stages and features both Australian and international musicians. Many people dress up in colourful costumes, often featuring glitter and beads. Some of the days have themes; in 2016, these themes included different colour parties and a "safari day".
History[edit]
The name Rainbow Serpent comes from the Aboriginal Australian creation myth of the Rainbow Serpent. The first edition of the festival was in 1998.[1]
The 2020 festival was cancelled due to site damage caused by bushfires in late December 2019.[2]
The 2021 festival was presented as a streaming event due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[3]
In July 2023, the festival changed its name to 'Rainbow Spirit Festival' due to concerns about cultural appropriation.[4]
Description[edit]
The festival extends over four days, on the long weekend which is always closest to Australia Day, on an open area of land near Lexton, in Victoria. It is mainly known for electronic music, with sub-genres psychedelic trance, minimal techno, and chill-out music, but it now features music across many genres, as well as art installations, workshops, and other attractions. There are market stalls, healing arts and multi-cultural foods.
The music is presented over a number of separate stages and features both Australian and international musicians. Approximately 12,000 people attend the festival each year.
