Tijuana Cartel, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! and Alison Wonderland head up the massive Surry Hills Festival lineup for 2012.

Saturday October 27th is set to be a hot day in Sydney, with Surry Hills Festival announcing a killer line up offering something for every ear.

Multiple stages will be surrounded by eccentric arts installations and roving performance, kids’ activities, an Eco living village and a great selection of markets and food, so while the music takes care of your ears, there will be something on offer for every taste bud, art lover and even bar lover too.

Headlining the Festival are Australian powerhouse and festival scene favourites Tijuana Cartel, who will take to the main stage with their groove infused beats to reveal their brand new song “Glistening” for a Surry Hills exclusive.

Triple J favourites, Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! Will bring their very own style of monolithic pop rock to the main stage, just in time for the release of their new single “code breaker”. Hot off hitting the stage with artists like Kimbra, Dappled Cities, The John Steel Singers and Deep Sea Arcade, the band are sure to drop a set that won’t easily be forgotten.

The band says; “We are thrilled to be a part of Surry Hills Festival, Sydney has always been a home away from home and we can’t wait to be a part of the festivities next month!”

Festival Director Matt Grant (who also puts on the Peats Ridge Festival says, “Surry Hills Festival just brings so much together in one day, different genres of music, markets, gourmet food, great little bars, amazing art, roving performances and so much that you just don’t see anywhere else, and the fact that it is the major fundraiser for Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre just makes it even better.”

Sticking with the Festival’s community spirit and history of support, the main stage will also host a plethora of established and up & coming bands including legendary Australian hip-hop artist The Tongue, Indie darlings Nantes, the crossover sound of True Vibenations, Afrobeat legends The Liberators and the solo sounds of Mojo Juju.

The heat is set to go from hot to boiling on the Garden Stage where the one and only Alison Wonderland will be mixing up a wicked selection of tunes after spending the last year playing the likes of Ibiza, Ministry of Sound and official after parties for the Grammys and Brit Awards.

Softwar will keep the party styling and popping well in to the night. The band has been playing all over the world for the likes of MTV, Rolling Stone Magazine and Gucci.

“We often eat in Surry Hills, we often dine in Surry Hills, we often have coffee in Surry Hills… but we’ve never played at a festival in Surry Hills. This is something super special and we’re delighted to be part of it and really excited to cross it off the list in such a rad part of Sydney,” the band say.

Canyons are also ripping out a DJ set, and the band couldn’t be more excited about playing, “We’ve spent more hours in Surry Hills than we have at our homes in the past few years recording our album, so it’s a place we both love dearly. We’re psyched to be involved in supporting something as positive as the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre and can’t wait to party with other likeminded artists doing their bit.”

Expect some of Sydney’s favourite DJs including SOSUEME DJs and the boys from Purple Sneakers to join the party.

Not content with just two big stages, the Chai Temple, with its comfortable pillows, beautiful interior and scrumptious Chai offerings, also plays host to the relaxing acoustic side of the Festival. Here you can catch acts like Steve Smyth and many other beautiful artists just on the brink of something big.

Every corner of the park will hide new treats, sounds and sites for everybody as they work their way through the myriad of market stalls, food outlets or themed outdoor bars to find a new performer round every corner that’s been waiting to entertain.

With a history of combining big acts with the newly discovered and those just on the edge of discovery, Surry Hills Festival has a proud tradition of keeping Sydney happy and dancing for an entire day every year while nurturing art and the local community.

With 2012 marking the coming of home of the Festival, to the beautifully revitalised Prince Alfred Park, this Surry Hills Festival is shaping up to be one to go down in history. Surry Hills Festival is a celebration of music, art, food and culture and is the major fundraiser for the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre. Funds raised help the centre fund vital services and community development programs in the local area.

The Festival runs from 10am – 10pm. http://www.surryhillsfestival.com/

THE COMPLETE MUSIC LINE UP

Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire!
The Tongue
Canyons (DJ Set)
Nantes
Purple Sneakers DJs
The Liberators
Softwar
SOSUEME DJs
Mojo Juju
Slow Blow
True Vibenation
Rhythm Section Showcase
Steve Smyth
Keyim Ba
Madhu

Larry Heath

Founding Editor and Publisher of the AU review. Currently based in Toronto, Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @larry_heath or on Instagram @larryheath.