Party in the Paddock has drawn a record 14,000 people to Quercus Park, capping 13 years of growth from a backyard birthday party into the state’s biggest homegrown music festival.
Co-founder Jesse Higgs said it all began with a Facebook message in 2011.
“I was like, hey, I want to start a music festival. I think the state needs a music festival that books local artists,” he said.
“Falls … weren’t booking local artists. And I thought – I was in a band at the time – we need an actual Tasmanian music festival.”
That first event drew about 480 people. This year’s crowd is up 1,000 on last year, with 10% of attendees travelling from interstate and overseas to northern Tasmania.
Festival director Ryan Limb said he never imagined how far it would come in the decade since it started.
“We’ve definitely increased our marketing across the country this year, so we’re definitely seeing an increase on that,” he said.
“There was a lot of butterfly effects for us to get to this point, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Tourism, Hospitality and Events Minister Jane Howlett said the event was a major drawcard for the state.
“Events like this are so important for Tasmania,” she said.
“We’ve had so many since Christmas – the Taste of Tasmania, the Sydney to Hobart, the Hobart International, Festivale, Beerfest, Foo Fighters – and here we are again in northern Tasmania for live music once again.”
This year’s line-up features more than 180 acts, with half of them Tasmanian.
International headliners include British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor and German duo Sofi Tukker.
Higgs said the festival’s success reflected growing momentum in Tasmania’s music scene.
“Tasmania is the next place that’s about to pop off,” he said.
“It’s kind of like what WA was 10-15 years ago because it is isolated and isolation breeds creation.”
The bump-in took four weeks, with 180 staff, nearly 500 volunteers and about 400 additional crew working behind the scenes.
Higgs confirmed this would be his final Party in the Paddock but declined to elaborate, saying he would address it after the festival.
