Hidden renegade parties, a new greenhouse and more: The team behind Pitch Music & Arts shares the insider scoop on this year’s festival

From those who know best.

When it comes to a festival as expansive as Pitch Music & Arts, the experience is about so much more than just the lineup. Any festival expert will tell you proper planning means understanding the festival program and everything it has to offer – and when it comes to Pitch, that includes taking note of the art installations, secret performances and extracurriculars that exist outside of the main stages. And who better to share than those who know the festival inside and out?

Discover more about Australia’s musical talent in FJ’s Music section.

Taking place from March 8 to 12 at the foothills of the Grampian plains, Pitch Music & Arts’ seventh edition is a celebration of “self-discovery, creativity and inclusion”. Curated by an all-knowing team of music enthusiasts, talented creatives and festival veterans, this Pitch is set to be the most dynamic yet. Below, the expert team behind Pitch Music & Arts shares their must-see experiences from this year’s festival program (plus their top artist picks).

Sam Hayes, Designer at Pitch Music & Arts

Situated between digital and analog, Sam Hayes is an artist practising graphic, motion and 3D design. Sam’s methodologically driven work is esoteric by nature, marrying maximalist visual creations with bespoke typographic arrangements.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival?

What I personally enjoy about Pitch is the convergence of music and art. I’m super excited to see the art activations on site, including the works of Olivier Ratsi, Spencer Rose and Øfferings. [I’m] also excited for people to see the merch this year! Together with frequent collaborator, Georgia Treloar, we led the creative direction of Pitch’s ’24 merch capsule.

The offering this year features a diverse product range – [we have been] working with Melbourne/Naarm brands such as R-Sport on a custom soccer jersey. The capsule is dubbed Mechanical Utopia, drawing inspiration from binary imagery and pixel art [and] digital rock art. Georgia and I are consistently inspired by the high-calibre, style-bending artists Pitch’s art program delivers year on year.

Pitch’s curation is unique in the sense that artists are forced to present beyond a gallery space [and embrace] the landscapes of the Grampians, with many leveraging in situ elements from the area within their work. Where else are you able to witness a Tundra audiovisual performance paired with DJ Stingray 313 pushing 150 beats per minute?

Local artist to watch?

Yikes and Dameeeela back-to-back DJ Pgz.

International artist to watch?

DJ Gigola, LB aka Labat and Daniel Avery.

Stephanie Mrmacoski, Senior Marketing Manager and Major Festivals Specialist at Pitch Music & Arts

Steph leads the marketing for some of Australia’s largest festivals including Pitch Music & Arts and Beyond The Valley. Passionate about culture and community in music festivals, she’s also studied and published works on the subject.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival?

Take the time to step away from the main stages and explore the other experiences on offer, like the Pitch Pavilion. The Pavilion is an artist-led space that hosts a whole range of immersive experiences, from wellness workshops [to] ambient DJ sets, yoga and so much more. It’s tucked away under a canopy of trees and is the perfect place to unwind and discover something new.

I’m also super excited to visit the Pitch Greenhouse this year. This is a brand-new purpose-built space where you can recharge during the day. At night, it will transform into a playground of creation and experimentation, with DJs playing music you won’t ordinarily find at the main stages. It’ll be a nice alternative option for people seeking a change of pace.

There will be takeovers from the likes of Skylab Radio, Deep Water and Navy Blue Radio, and a pop-up bar from one of my favourite new Melbourne bars, Quiet Time. These bespoke experiences are a big part of what makes Pitch such a unique and memorable festival experience.

Local artist to watch?

Surusinghe – love her genre-bending style.

International artist to watch?

Daniel Avery – this will be his first live performance in Aus!

Xander Speight, Social Media Manager at Pitch Music & Arts

Xander is Pitch’s Social Media Manager. You’ve probably seen him running around at festivals capturing those money-can’t-buy moments and driving social strategy.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival?

Positioned at the foothills of the Grampian Plains, Pitch has a certain magnetic energy. The merging of the natural landscape with curated art selections and brutalist stage designs leaves me in awe year after year.

Up the top of my list to check out at Pitch 2024 is the new stage design for Pitch Black. Based on a dystopian city, it will be a unique experience to dance amongst the remnants of a past metropolis. I’m also looking forward to positioning myself front and centre at Pitch One and letting stacked Funktion-One speakers vibrate my brain – the sound design is indisputably world-class.

At every festival, there comes a moment when it’s time to explore. A little hint – hidden amongst the campgrounds is Pitch Precinct. Here you’ll find a truly immersive experience from the creative minds of On3 and The Operatives with takeovers from Now Hear This, Inbraza, Closet and Picked Last. Pitch 2024 is going to be the best one yet. I’m excited and you should be too.

Local artist to watch?

X Club – seeing their upward trajectory has been exciting. Pitch will feel like a bit of a homecoming.

International artist to watch?

DJ Gigola – I’ve had her on repeat all year. Give ‘Papi’ and ‘Mas Y Mas’ a listen.

Ela Rutherford, Agent and Artist Operations Manager at Pitch Music & Arts

Ela plays a role in the music programming and booking of Pitch Music & Arts as well as looking after the artists on the ground. This year will be the sixth Pitch she’s attended.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival?

One of my favourite moments of Pitch is the sunrise set early Sunday morning. There’s something about a sunrise in the Australian bush that goes unmatched. For those who are planning on staying up until 7am or are early risers, we have a secret set planned with an act who I think is primo for this slot.

The Resident Advisor (RA) stage is my favourite place to be late at night, every night, and I am itching to see Studio John Fish’s stage design come to life this year… the stage will be topped with a giant orb. We’ve also repurposed the previous year’s RA stage and now use it as furniture – keep your eye out for the purple pallets, you are sitting on the RA stage!

I’m also really excited for Monday, which has a lineup of artists who will tear the house down. If you’re a Pitch regular, you’ll understand why this day is so special. It’s really a celebration of an incredible weekend of music. Nothing quite beats it!

Local artist to watch?

Hasvat Informant – I caught Mike play at Ballista last year and his set was really good fun, a must for techno lovers.

International artist to watch?

Akua – I kept missing her when I was in Europe last year so I’m excited to finally get to catch her play!

Taylah Hume, Head of Customer Experience at Pitch Music & Arts

Taylah oversees customer experience, ensuring events continue to reflect what the audience wants through offerings like glamping, premium camping and new experience activations. She also ensures the safety and well-being of all attendees through welfare and crowd care measures.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s festival?

This year we’re introducing a new R&R experience at the Pitch Pavillion, where I’m keen to break up the music with a massage. You can book in for a head, neck and shoulder massage or a full-body treatment – there’s nothing quite like the relaxation you feel post-massage, especially when you’ve been clocking 30,000-plus steps a day.

In addition to massages, this year you can book a session with a reiki healer. Reiki is an energy-healing technique [that uses] gentle hand movements with the intention to guide the flow of healthy energy to reduce stress and promote healing. And if you want to see if 2024 is the year you’ll finally be able to follow through with your New Year’s resolution, you can book a tarot card-reading session to find out what’s on the horizon for you post-Pitch.

While you’re at the Pitch Pavilion, stop by some of the installations and interactive experiences curated by UnitePlayPerform – there are some exciting things planned. If you’re still undecided about Pitch, let this be your sign to put in your leave and grab your ticket. We have a number of Pre-Pitched tents still available… you can arrive to an already set-up tent, taking the worry out of planning (and not to mention, setting up your campsite).

Local artist to watch?

CC:DISCO! – simply iconic, always.

International artist to watch?

VTSS – after watching her close out Dekmantel last year, I’m excited to see her bring the energy to Australia.

You can browse the full Pitch Music & Arts program here.