Off the Grid is Australia’s Only Music Festival Powered By the Sun

Long, hot Australian summer days are perfectly designed for festivals. You knew this already, but Off the Grid—Australia’s first ever 100 percent solar powered music and art party—is harnessing the power of that scorching weather to really hammer the point home. The eco-celebration is returning to Melbourne for a second year this December, and has just announced its lineup.

To be held on the day of the summer solstice in the forecourt of the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art, this year’s Off the Grid will feature music from improv duo Albrecht La’Brooy, underground visionary Andee Frost, unpredictable electronica artist Andras, Lullaby for Insomniacs’ Izabel Caligiore, houe luminary J’Nett, obscure vinyl Queen Miss Goldie, Red Light Records’ Tako, high energy eight piece NO ZU, and the very international Senengambian Jazz Band—as well as contemporary dance from dancer and choreographer Benjamin Hancock, presented by Chunky Move.

That’s a lot of music, and incredibly the sound system is completely powered by nature. More specifically, a state-of-the art battery bank connected to a five-metre-high solar-powered sound stage that makes the most of the summer rays—on the solstice, the sun will be at its highest point of the year. It’s the perfect synergy of technology, creativity, and good vibes.

Off the Grid began as a battery-powered house party in a London basement, and since then the dedicated team behind it has hosted eco-friendly parties around the world. The aim is to invest 100 percent of the profits from the festival back into solar power technology projects, in order to help Melbourne transition into a cutting edge, self-sufficient city. This year, the founders have confirmed they'll build a solar project able to power at least two homes.

Of course, music festivals aren’t exactly known for being environmentally friendly—we’re all familiar with wearily wading through piles of rubbish and debris to exit the venue after that final act has played. Off the Grid proposes a solution to this, aiming to avoid sending a single piece of rubbish into landfill. Organic waste will be composted, and everything else recycled. The only footprints left behind will be from all the frantic dancing.

On that note, the festival's line up shared some of their favourite summer tracks with The Creators Project, to give us a preview of what to expect come December. You can listen below.

Off the Grid is going down on December 21, 2016. Find out more about the festival and buy tickets here.

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