Each year, Australia plays host to a few major music festivals that attract massive crowds. Big Day Out, Homebake and Livid attract hoards of locals and travelers alike to daylong jam fests of music, beer and fun. All three festivals are held during the warmer spring/summer months, and can have pricey tickets. However, if you're down under and happen to be in town when one of these shows arrives, make sure to check it out!

Big Day Out: The grandest festival; stops in major cities along the East Coast, Perth and Auckland, New Zealand. Big Day Out mixes overseas musical acts and local favorites. Past international performers include Metallica, The Strokes, Limp Bizkit, Nine Inch Nails, Basement Jaxx and Rage Against the Machine. Australian favorites like Silverchair, Grinspoon, Jet, Regurgitator and Powderfinger have all graced the stage. Tickets regularly sell out, with audiences ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 people. 2005 Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri 21st Jan AUCKLAND
Sun 23rd Jan GOLD COAST
Wed 26th Jan SYDNEY (Australia Day public holiday)
Sun 30th Jan MELBOURNE
Fri 4th Feb ADELAIDE
Sun 6th Feb PERTH

Homebake: All Aussie, all the time. A wide variety of Australian artists crammed into one place. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Vines, 1200 Techniques, Machine Gun Fellatio, Jet, Grinspoon, and Butterfly Effect are all veterans of the Homebake stages. Although 2004 dates have not yet been announced, look for the show to roll into Sydney around the first Saturday in December.

Livid: Like Big Day Out, the Livid (sounds like "live it", when said with an Aussie accent) festival combines both international and Australian acts for three concerts. The oldest annual bash in the country, Livid will celebrate its 18th year in October of 2004 with shows in Sydney, Melbourne and its birthplace, Brisbane. Superstars included The White Stripes, Linkin Park, Jurassic 5, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes and The Roots in 2003.