Balaclava Boogie Festival Returns for 2024
A Free 3-Day Celebration of Live Music in Balaclava
Balaclava, Melbourne – The vibrant heart of Melbourne’s inner-city will once again host one of the city’s most exciting free music festivals, Balaclava Boogie Festival, from November 22-24, 2024. For three blissful days, in the Carlisle Street Precinct, will be alive with the sound of music, featuring performances across 8 venues, including the much-anticipated Duke Street Picnic Party at St Kilda Library and the festival’s epic Sunday Session.
The festival kicks off on Friday evening, November 22, with live music at various venues along Carlisle Street and nearby areas. Attendees can enjoy an array of incredible acts, with no gig clashes, including Better than Sex, Backyard Banjo Club, Tarantinos, Rob Paine & The Fulltime Lovers, and many more.
On Saturday, November 23, the festivities continue with a bustling morning at the
Carlisle Street Market (Balaclava Hotel Car Park), followed by the family-friendly Duke Street Picnic Party at St Kilda Library. Enjoy live music, a classic sausage sizzle, and lawn games for a fun-filled afternoon. As the evening sets in, the music doesn’t stop, with free live performances across multiple venues, keeping the energy high into the night.
The festival concludes in style on Sunday, November 24, with the much-loved Sunday
Session—an epic car park party and beer garden. Headlining the day’s events are Melbourne’s High Priestess of Soul, Kylie Auldist, along with acts such as rock’n’roll queens, Hot Machine, Alma Zygier, Kiwat Kennell, Bernadette November, A Whale Called Phoenix, and local legends Primary Scream. The event takes place at Rear 202 Carlisle Street, running from 1pm to 8pm.
And the fun doesn’t stop there! Be sure to check out Pause Bar for their classic blues afternoon session, enjoy more great tunes at Balaclava Hotel, and join the afterparty at Voodoo Love Child, featuring Chloe’s Drag Battle.
Friday 22nd
Pause Bar (AGES 18+)
268 Carlisle St, Balaclava
7pm
Better Than Sex local jazz/rock/ska outfit are kicking off Balaclava Boogie 2024 in style!
The Tarantinos
Better Than Sex + Alice Andersen
Malewa City at Glass Merchants (AGES 18+)
63 Nelson St, Balaclava
8pm
The Tarantinos are 4 bad mother truckers who play all the killer soundtracks of Quentin Tarantino live!
Backyard Banjo Club
The Local Taphouse (AGES 18+)
184 Carlisle St, Balaclava
8pm
The Tarantinos are 4 bad mother truckers who play all the killer soundtracks of Quentin Tarantino live!
Rod Paine & The Full Time Lovers
The Local Taphouse (AGES 18+)
184 Carlisle St, Balaclava
9pm
Rod Paine & The Full Time Lovers will be cooking up a stew of dirty electric Blues & Roots of the early 60s with splashes of Americana & R’n’R
Arabella & The Heist
Voodoo Love Child Speakeasy (AGES 18+)
143 Chapel St, St Kilda
9pm
Arabella & The Heist Powerful, fierce and electrifying Arabella and The Heist are a three piece femme-punk band. Forming in 2019 in Melbourne, Australia, the outfit has taken their cues from rock icons, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Dead Weather and The Pretenders stirred in with a fast hit of punk seduction.
Saturday 23rd
Carlisle Street Market
ALL AGES
22 Dianella Lane, Balaclava
9am – 1pm
Join us in the final monthly event – Carlisle Street Market is a place to enjoy the essence of Balaclava, where art, music, food, and culture converge to create a memorable and enriching experience for residents and visitors alike. Click Here for more information.
Duke St Picnic Party
St Kilda Library (ALL AGES)
150 Carlisle Street, St Kilda (Rear entry, Duke Street)
1pm – 7pm
DJ Cassette Walkman play’s nostalgic favs, surprise ear worms and new moods to keep your feet grooving!
DJ Joey Lightbulb is a fan of the people. The Melbourne/Naarm-based selector has DJed Golden Plains, Meredith Music Festival and so many more! Fresh from selling out three shows at Fitzroy’s iconic Night Cat, Joey will be playing bangers fun for the whole family!
Matt Dwyer
Sneaic Cafe (ALL AGES)
277 Carlisle St, Balaclava
1pm
Matt Dwyer is a blues, jazz and rockabilly guitarist /singer/songwriter.
Marcelle
Pause Bar (AGES 18+)
268 Carlisle St, Balaclava
5pm
Marcelle is a singer & songwriter of Rock and Soul music.
Max Konig
Ms Carlisles (AGES 18+)
137 Carlisle St, Balaclava
7pm
Max Konig… he’s baaaack! A true highlight of Balaclava Boogie 2023 – DO NOT MISS OUT!
“Threading a mystical tapestry of ornamentations, blowing rapid fire, stream-of-consciousness improvisations.”
Drawing inspiration from jazz giants and Arabic, Turkish and klezmer music, Max König and his first class band are a unique sound, sight and spirit to behold.
The Spirit Ditch
Levanter Cafe (ALL AGES)
298 Carlisle St, Balaclava
6pm
The Spirit Ditch …Blame the Parents Battle of the Bands for this. When Danna Paltos showed up to her first rehearsal for the St Kilda Primary Band “Primary Scream” on the premise that she could “sing a bit”, the band had one of those jaw dropping moments when she ripped a Beyonce’ song to pieces on her first go at rehearsal. Two battles later, with a victory in 2022, Danna and two other alumni from Primary Scream (Dave Leggatt and Cathy Pappas) teamed up to form the Spirit Ditch with Ricky Feldman (who competed with the Rip Offs) and drummer Andy Irwin. Andy and Dave have a simple bond – whatever band they’re in, the other one is too.
Mantis & The Prayer
Voodoo Love Child Speakeasy (AGES 18+)
143 Chapel St, St Kilda
8pm
Mantis & The Prayer – Escape and Transcend from Tragedy into Triumph. Our music has been crafted and designed to transport you into other worlds and other minds!
Afro Beats
Malewa City at Glass Merchants (AGES 18+)
63 Nelson St, Balaclava
8pm
Afro Beats more info to come.
Sunday 24th
Sunday Session (ALL AGES)
Rear 202 Carlisle Street, Balaclava
1:30pm – 8:00pm
*set times subject to change
DJ Mermaid
1:00pm – 1:30pm
DJ Mermaid is not only a fiery staple on Melbourne’s rock’n’roll scene, she is one of Melbourne’s and New Zealand’s premier rock DJs. And she will be our resident DJ, who will take you from set to set and beyond.
Primary Scream
1:30pm – 2:00pm
Primary Scream bio coming soon.
Kiwat Kennell
2:15pm – 2:45pm
Kiwat Kennell is a Torres Strait Islander that walks between two worlds.
Originally born in Brisbane, QLD, Kiwat has grown up on the road, living in countless towns and cities along the East Coast, eventually settling in in Naarm, Melbourne Australia.
Being in Naarm, exposed to a Kaleidoscope of sounds, Kiwat has used his past experiences of strength, courage and overcoming depression to create an expansive array of musical expression that blends genres, invokes emotion and breaks down cultural barriers between societal group.
A Whale Called Phoenix
3:00pm – 3:45pm
A Whale Called Phoenix, doused in a 70’s SoCal vibe, their music comes from a place where the desert meets the sea. Lauded for their strong sense of melody and engaging harmonies, whilst also having something to say. It’s hard to place this band into a specific genre, but it comes with a sense of familiarity. With extensive travel under their belt and the band coming from all around Victoria/Tasmania but brewed in St Kilda, you can hear their influences stem from everywhere.
Bernadette Novembre
4:00pm – 4:45pm
Bernadette Novembre a surrealist at heart, Bernadette’s new music has been described as ‘Avant-Indie Alt Rock on the dreamscape’ due to the dreamlike quality of her lyrics and melodies. Also taking inspiration from French and Italian artists of the 1960’s such as Françoise Hardy, Dalida and Mina. Her debut album ‘The Plastic Age’ is expected to be released in 2025.
Alma Zygier
5:00pm – 5:30pm
Alma Zygier is bewitching and idiosyncratic. The Melbourne born jazz and blues wunderkind brings grit and grime to her timeless vocals. Playful and peculiar, Alma portrays her power and fragility simultaneously at every turn bringing an emotional maturity to her performance that belies her years.
Hot Machine
5:45pm – 6:45pm
Hot Machine are fresh from their Japanese tour with punk legends D4 and straight to our streets! This fiery 5 piece all-girl rockers from Melbourne arrived on the scene in 2023, launching their debut single “She’s on the Money” while rocking stages all over Australia with their high energy and heavy, classic rock sound. The five-piece powerhouse have since jumped on lineups with some of Australia’s best including Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, The Southern River Band, Kingswood and Beans.
Kylie Auldist
7:15pm – 8:15pm
Kylie Auldist, described by The Music Magazine as “Melbourne’s high priestess of soul”, Kylie has grown to become one of Australia’s most respected, versatile and accomplished performers in the Melbourne music scene over the last 30 years. With a #1 charting the UK and top 10 charting songs in Australia, you may recognise her as the front woman of ‘The Bamboos’ and outfit ‘Cookin’ on 3 Burners’.
Chloe’s Drag Battle – Afterparty (AGES 18+)
8:30pm – 11:00pm
Voodoo Love Child Speakeasy
143 Chapel Street, St Kilda
Chloe’s Drag Battle bio coming soon.
Lazr Bees
Glass Merchants (ALL AGES)
63 Nelson St, Balaclava
1pm
Lazr Bees Originals Band – HyperKlez, AfroBalkan, EthioRock -“PostWorld”. MultiLingual Lyrics, Brass, Strings, Synths.
The Bornstein Ultimatum
Pause Bar (AGES 18+)
268 Carlisle St, Balaclava
5pm
The Bornstein Ultimatum is a fun, eclectic covers band constantly evolving and rotating and playing with the cream of Australian musicians .
Balaclava Boogie is bought to you by the Carlisle Street Traders Association – 200 Businesses working together to make a difference in their local community and make Carlisle Street a more inclusive and exciting place to live, play, experience, and enjoy.
Jessica Robinett (Director), Samantha Caplan (Program Coordinator), and Craig Delsinki (Production Coordinator)
We would like to thank our supporters and sponsors. With out their commitment to supporting the arts and our community this would not be possible.
