BEACHY BEATS AND KILDA TREATS | ST KILDA FESTIVAL 2026

PHOTO GALLERY | ST KILDA FESTIVAL | ST KILDA, MELBOURNE | 14th-15th February 2026 by Kayleigh Nickson

For the 45^th year running, the St Kilda Foreshore transforms into the largest community festival in Australia. Running across 2 days from Acland Street through The Esplanade and Jacka Boulevard down to Fitzroy Street, the free, all-ages festival is a must see when in Melbourne. 

Day 1 is dedicated to First Peoples programming, with stellar line-ups of established and emerging artists from the Main Stage on St Kilda’s foreshore, and more live tunes and family friendly activities over at O’Donnell Gardens. Day 2 of the festival is a large-scale, multi-stage event featuring some of Australia’s biggest artists and bands, which historically welcomes an audience of around 350,000 to St Kilda’s iconic foreshore area. With over 100 acts – plus street performers, family entertainment, market and food stalls, carnival rides, local community group activations and more – there’s something for everyone at St Kilda Festival.

The festival organisers have definitely spent their time making sure that they held up their claim to be ‘for everyone’ as it was incredibly accessible. They included interpreters on the main stages (mentioned on the app which artists will have Auslan interpreters) and Haptic Vests which consist of a body pack, wrist and ankle bands so patrons can experience the music of each instrument through vibrations across 24 touch points on the body. Vibrations flow through the body with great precision, providing a state-of-the-art, high-definition surround sensory experience and were available for the Main Stage on the Sunday. In addition to this, accessible viewing platforms and wheelchair charging stations, quiet spaces and accessible transport to help them get around the spread out festival. 

This festival isn’t just about music, it’s about bringing everyone together for a beautiful day at the beach filled with food and activities – the sun and music is just an added bonus. 

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Kayleigh Nickson

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