Here’s how Splendour in the Grass wrapped up its 2016 event last night

Sunday night at Splendour wound up one of two ways; you either lost your mind blissing out to Sigur Ros in the Mix Up Tent or you threw down with a full amphitheatre of punters to Flume‘s jam-packed headline set at the other end of the site.

Either way, wrapping up the weekend at the Byron festival meant a lot of dancing, great weather and QUALITY music.

Throughout the day, it seemed to a more chilled out affair than Saturday; sets by Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders, UK band Blossoms and locals City Calm Down in the afternoon drew the numbers out, but it felt like today was for discovering new bands and reconnecting with long time favourites instead of heavily partying with these artists as a background.

Courtney Barnett, true to form, shredded like no one’s business up in the Amphitheatre – testament to the festival megastar she’s become over the last year or so. Jagwar Ma‘s return to the Australian festival circuit was as well-received as one would imagine, while Remi turned up the heat at the Tiny Dancer Stage next door, going toe to toe with special guest Baro at one point – one of our favourite moments of our day.

Between James Blake and Sigur Ros at the end of the night, Splendour crowds were treated to some incredibly special sets. James Blake’s crowd wasn’t as big as we had anticipated at the Amphitheatre, but his voice and crystal clear-mixed sound was captivating.

On a whole other level, Sigur Ros generated a whole atmosphere of their own, transporting the Splendour crowd into another realm for their headline set. As their only Australian show, the gravity of the experience wasn’t lost on the crowd as we lapped up every part of it; from the lights and visuals, to the strong musical kinship between the members and of course, Jónsi’s ethereal vocal that renders everyone watching speechless.

Walking away from the set, you weren’t quite sure to do next, but you were happy to have been in that particular place at that particular time, for sure.

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