2023 Antipodes Festival

The Antipodes Festival once again takes its place in summer, returning to Lonsdale Street on the 25 + 26 of February.

All stallholders and performers can fill out our online applications here
Stalls: https://bit.ly/antipodesfest2023
Performers: https://bit.ly/3Hgm99v

Ever wanted to experience Antipodes Festival from behind the scenes? Applications are now open for volunteers!
APPLY HERE:
Antipodes Festival Volunteers Expression of Interest (monday.com)

Get your trainers on and show us what you got, as ZORBA 'TIL YOU DROP returns to the 2023 ANTIPODES FESTIVAL. Complete the application form https://bit.ly/zorba_till_you_drop and you could be dancing you way to Greece! Who will be the last one standing?

The ANTIPODES FESTIVAL is the cultural arm of the Greek Community of Melbourne, which sees Melbourne’s Greek Quarter transform into one giant free street party, bringing together local and international performers, children’s activities, and food, for a weekend of fun and feasting. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the vibrant multiculturalism of Melbourne and to explore the beauty of Greek culture

FAQ

When is the festival on? – The Festival will be held on Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th of February.

What times will it be running? – The Festival will run from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm on the 25th and 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on the 26th.

Where is it being held? –The Festival is held in the City of Melbourne’s historical Greek Precinct Quarter on Lonsdale Street between Swanston Street and Jones Lane (West of Exhibition Street) and Russell Street between Little Lonsdale and Little Bourke Street.

What can we expect? – You can expect over 80 community & market stalls all with a Greek theme selling food, products/services, carnival rides, cooking demonstrations, kids activities, roving entertainment and 3 feature stages with over 70 hours of Greek music, dance and entertainment

Can I buy a souvlaki at the festival? – Of course! You can buy all sorts of Greek food such as sweets like loukoumades (deep-fried donuts with honey and walnuts), as well as Greek jewellery, candles, books and many other Greek products

How can I join the fun? There are lots of ways! We’ll have lots of activities to check out, such as carnival rides, a ferris wheel, arts and crafts stalls, Also, be sure to look out for competitions that we’ll be running, including:

• Baklavomania (where contestants eat as many pieces of baklava as they can in a short time),
• the Procal Yoghurt competition (where contestants must fish out strawberries from a bowl of yoghurt – using only their mouth), and
• the famed “Zorba ‘Til You Drop” (a test of endurance and stamina to see who can dance to ‘Zorba the Greek’ for the longest and win a free ticket to Greece – or until they drop!)

How will this affect public transport? The bus services that travel down Lonsdale street will be diverted. You can access the PTV Journey Planner here to plan your journey into or around the Festival, and you can view live updates to disruptions diversions directly from the PTV website here.

How much of the street will be closed? Are there alternative access points?

The street closures will be on Lonsdale Street and Russell Street, encompassing the intersection of the two streets. Lonsdale will be closed from traffic from Swanston St to Exhibition St, and Russell will be closed from Little Bourke St to Little Lonsdale St.

Can I park my car nearby?

Access to the Wilson Parking car park at Mantra on Russell Street is open. Additionally, the QV carpark will be accessible via the entrance on Russell St.