“Much loved for over a decade, Leaps and Bounds is a favourite in the Yarra calendar” Mayor Edward Crossland said.

“We’re so proud to continue hosting this spectacular festival and supporting local musicians, venues and workers, particularly in light of recent challenges that the industry is facing relating to rising rents, cost of living pressures and increasing public liability insurance.”

A celebration of local music, the diverse line-up of live shows will hit venues across Fitzroy, Fitzroy North, Collingwood, Abbotsford and Richmond from Thursday 25 July.

Spanning four days and nights, the festival boasts a succession of parties and performances for all age groups and every budget, including plenty of free and family-friendly gigs on the program.

This year’s program provides a platform for venues to program a diverse lineup from LGBTIQA+ and First Nations musicians and to build audiences across generations.

Highlights include:

• Tribute shows to Mazzy Star at Lulie Tavern, Gillian Welch at The Gem and John Prine at Catfish Bar.
• Amos Roach Unplugged featuring the award-winning musician, dancer and director, for an intimate performance at the Railway Hotel Fitzroy   an unmissable opportunity to also see the newly refurbished bandroom, which hosted dances for returned soldiers in the 50s through to local rock acts like Weddings Parties Anything in the early 2000s, but has sat dormant for decades, until now!
• Other First Nations shows include Tjum Tjumba Fundraiser at Glamorama and Kiwat Kennell at Bodriggy Brewing Co.
• The Night Cat 30th Anniversary show with Hot Potato Band (Sydney), Horns of Leroy ft Thando plus DJs all night long.
• Berada by Nighthawks x Rama Parwata promises to deliver an unforgettable experience as a showcase of Southeast Asian artists that merges cultural influences, experimental sounds and dynamic performances including Hantu, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicologist Isobel D'Cruz which draws on her Western and Indian classical training and Malaysian background.
   

Shows for young families and teenagers including: You're a star, Baby @ Lulie Tavern: a gig for parents, pals and kids in conjunction with Yarra Youth DJ Skills plus LLR Records Takeover x Leaps and Bounds- All Ages Hardcore @ The Tote featuring; Horsepower, Jokes On You (Sydney), Dominant Hand (Sydney), MindraceAd Tarnished (all ages day show).
 

PBS Presents ‘Swinging City’ Live from The Corner Hotel: To celebrate the 2024 Leaps and Bounds Festival PBS will continue their tradition of a live broadcast from one of Yarra’s finest establishments the Corner Hotel, presenting not one, but two PBS radio shows live-to-air from the rooftop bar and courtyard. Join hosts Crispi Winsor and Myles O’Neil-Shaw for 4 hours of live music, special guests and rare records as Radio City and Swinging Doors combine for this special broadcast.  
 

Successful events from last year will also return for another exciting instalment in 2024:

• Girls to the Front at Bad Decisions Bar – a hip hop show spotlighting female identifying, non-binary, and LGBTIQA+ rap and hip hop artists, and their passionate fan bases.
• FLIGHT! - a showcase featuring the new generation of Naarm’s best artists, featuring 14 acts from First Nations and culturally diverse backgrounds. Presented by The Boite & The Evelyn Hotel.
• Leaps and Bounds Record Fair at Collingwood Town Hall 
   

As part of the festival, Council is also partnering with Live Music Locator (LML) - a new collective supporting the growth of contemporary music in Australia by developing an accurate and reliable digital gig-listing feed as well as location-specific gig promotion for local, national and international audiences.
This pilot project aims to promote every gig at every live music venue in the municipality over the coming months, including the Leaps and Bounds Festival.

LML are particularly committed to supporting young and emerging artists, and small & medium venues by providing a “free to all” source of information about gigs in Yarra.
 

Leaps and Bounds Music Festival is proudly presented by Yarra City Council, with presenting partner PBS FM.
 

For more information and the full program, visit Leaps and Bounds Music Festival.