19th September, 2024
Local band Circadia will return to Wentworth Street for Port Kembla’s Open Street Festival on Saturday, 5 October 2024.
Guitarist and vocalist Robbie Gyngell says the festival gives local families a great opportunity to experience live music.
“It’ll be high energy,” Robbie says.
“You get a lot of people who ordinarily might not get to come out to events like this. There will be a few young families who know that they can leave at 7pm and still see the majority of the festival, which is lovely.”
Circadia formed in 2019 and the band now has five to eight members from the Illawarra and Sydney.
“We play a mix of alternative rock and roll with a bit of funk, a bit of jazz and a lot of soul influence. That’s probably just the best way of putting it. We’re pretty genre-fluid, chuck indie in there just for fun,” says Otis Wishart, bass guitarist and lyricist.
“The songs we have been writing lately are not heaps like any of our other songs as well. They’re a bit more folky-surfy.”
Robbie and Otis are looking forward to playing the main stage at Open Street Festival, from 5-6pm.
“It’s all ages and starts around midday. We’re on around five to six, so the sunset session! We’re stoked about that. It means we get to enjoy it beforehand for a while and after our set as well,” Robbie says.
Otis says the festival will be a welcome change of pace from the band’s frequent shows in Wollongong. In July, Circadia played a sold-out show at La La La’s, supported by upcoming local bands Autumn Sunset and Echidnacia.
“I think we’ve got a really solid following in Wollongong, which is just lovely. It’s been exciting to see the crowd change from being just our friends to more and more unfamiliar faces regularly coming to the shows,” says Otis.
“There’s so many opportunities now, compared to what there were five, 10, 15 years ago, and some of the talent coming through with the young kids playing Wollongong are incredible.”
Wollongong has long been home to a thriving local music scene, with Port Kembla quickly becoming a hot spot for local gigs.
“Port Kembla is on the precipice of blowing up as a place to see live music – this little sleepy place tucked in just outside of Wollongong that’s super family-oriented. There’s like a massive working-class history here, which leaks through in the pubs and venues, The Servo especially,” Otis says.
Port Kembla Open Street Festival is funded by the NSW Government’s Open Streets Program, with support from local council and production agency Holy Pavlova.
“Events like these are so important,” Robbie says.
“Aside from Yours and Owls, who did the massive thing of facilitating the live music scene in Wollongong, I think you need those little companies like Holy Pavlova chucking on the little gigs every now and then.”
The free, all-ages festival will be staged on Wentworth Street from 1pm to 10pm. Festival-goers can view the map and schedule for the day here.
