Craving an epic Easter on the coast? Meet Four Winds Music Festival

Posted on 2 March, 2023

Picture an amphitheater of green—an open-air concert venue sculpted from nature herself, surrounded by spotted gums and the pristine beauty of the Sapphire Coast. Before you, some of Australia’s most revered musicians take to the stage.

This is the reality of Easter weekend at Four Winds Music Festival, a three-day family-friendly extravaganza of music and art in Bermagui, just three hours south of Canberra.

Taking place across 7-9 April, Four Winds Music Festival offers a coastal escape like no other, with live music, exciting creative collaborations and art installations in Four Winds’ unique ‘Sound Shell’ natural amphitheatre with local food and wine in an inclusive family-friendly atmosphere.

Australian String Quartet. Photo: Agatha Yim.

Now in its 33rd year, the jam-packed program has something for everyone and is an experience that Creative Director Matthew Hoy describes as “music for the great outdoors”.

“Four Winds Music Festival elevates the senses, welcoming listeners into nature, drawing them together in community through music,” he says. “A festival presents the opportunity to galvanise community around uplifting moments that embrace the power of shared experience, celebrating what distinguishes, binds, sustains, completes, and makes us one.”

In 2023, this multi-sensory experience will feature the talents of Ngaiire, Daniel Wilfred, David Wilfred, Jess Hitchcock, the Australian String Quartet, Australian Art Orchestra, jazz legend Paul Grabowsky and soloists including flautist Lina Andonovska, pianist Timothy Young, violinist Sophie Rowell and composer/trumpeter Peter Knight. A truly phenomenal line-up.

Ngaiire. Photo: Dan Segal.

Pair that with a picnic-style atmosphere where you can spread across the grass on a blanket, eating a packed picnic or some delicious lunch purchased on-site while enjoying some oysters and gin and you have culture buff heaven.

View the full program here.

Jess Hitchcock. Photo: Tessa Thames.

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to entertain yourself—or just wind down and relax—across the Easter weekend in Bermagui.

Nestled on a lush stretch of the Sapphire Coast just 30 minutes’ drive south of Narooma and 3.5 hours from Canberra, Bermagui offers some of the Sapphire Coast’s most gorgeous swimming spots (have you seen the Blue Pool and Horseshoe Bay?) as well as a thriving township to explore. For people with access needs, Bruce Steer Pool is a gentle sea pool with access ramp, toilets and accessible parking, right in town.

Discover vintage and retro treasures at Strangers in Paradise, shop uber cool surf and beachwear at Boho Republic, local art and jewellery at Esther Jane and find luxe and unique homewares at Mermaids of Bermagui.

You’ll find amazing coffee at Mister Hope, famous sourdough and pastries at Honorbread, even more famous gelato at the Bermagui Gelato Clinic, great fish and chips at the fresher-than-fresh Bermagui Fisherman’s Wharf and amazing vegetarian fare at the very hip Boneless.

Make an evening of it at the deliciously Italian Il Passaggio Restaurant or Mimosa Wines Restaurant and make sure to try locally-made North of Eden gin while you’re in town.

While there will be plenty of local food available at Four Winds (including many of the stores mentioned above) you can also pack your own treats—we recommend pre-ordering your Festival Hamper with your ticket, created by Eastwoods of Bermagui, or heading to Il Passaggio Provodore to stock your picnic basket.

To get that proper holiday feeling, take a drive to nearby Mimosa Rocks National Park for a dip at pristine Bithry Inlet, paddleboard on the Bermagui River or roll out your towel on one of the many nearby beaches. Bermagui is your oyster (oh, and the oysters are really good too).

And, if you’re wanting to make a week of it, head to Bermagui on Thursday to experience the weekly Bermagui Growers and Makers Market from 3.30 pm next to the surf club.

Here you can find tipples from Breakfast Creek Vineyard and Rusty Fig Wines, gluten free bread and baked goods and farm fresh vegetables from Millford Acres and gourmet baked goods, cakes and preserves from Cracked Pepper Kitchen. Make sure to check out Grimm-Hewitt Art Gallery and Faraway Farm Foods while you’re there too.

In this day and age, flexibility is key when it comes to a relaxing getaway and Four Winds has plenty of flexible ticketing packages, including the Weekend Sound Shell Day Pass which gives you access to music in the Sound Shell across the three days as well as ‘add on’ tickets for evening and indoor events. As always, Friday evening outdoors at the Sound Shell is free to attend. Find out more here.

The Sound Shell. Credit: David Rogers.

For those with limited mobility, there is priority car parking on-site and the Windsong Pavilion is fully accessible and fitted with a hearing loop, with wheelchair users invited to use the dedicated seating area in front of the Sound Shell stage.

Picnic atmosphere at Four Winds. Credit: Ben Marden Photography.

Don’t want to drive? The free Four Winds shuttle bus runs across the weekend from Bermagui to Four Winds’ Barragga Bay site (a 10-minute drive). See the website for more information closer to the festival.

And the best part of this all? The outdoor, grassed seating area means that you can practise social distancing with ease, making Four Winds an easy choice for all of us with COVID-safety on the brain. You can read Four Winds’ detailed COVID-safety plan here.

Feature image: Ben Marden