The only thing better than a music festival is one that caters to all kinds of abilities straight off the bat – enter Ability Fest, who have just announced their planned return for 2021.
Alongside most real-life events around the nation last year, COVID-19 forced preparations for the 2020 Ability Fest to screech to a halt.
Created by three-time Paralympic gold medallist and radio host Dylan Alcott, the 2021 version of the event will be held in Melbourne’s Alexandra Gardens on Saturday, November 27.
Alcott’s team – in collaboration with Untitled Group (Beyond the Valley, Grapevine Gathering) and Triple J – will convert the venue into a completely accessible festival arena, inclusive of elevated viewing platforms, pathways, quiet zones, ramps, accessible toilets, and a designated sensory area! Talk about accessibility, huh?
Another noteworthy aspect of Ability Fest 2021 is the companion ticketing, which lets carers and companions attend in support of an attendee. Companions will be required to purchase a Companion Card Ticket, breaking down yet another barrier that most events don’t consider.
AUSLAN interpreters are also set to attend Ability Fest, giving Deaf and Hard of Hearing folk the unique chance of experiencing the joy of a music festival that works for them.
This will be the fourth edition of Ability Fest, which Alcott says, ‘sets a new standard in the festival world, and shows others what is possible’.
Funds from each ticket sale will go directly to the Dylan Alcott Foundation, a movement which has helped young Australians with disabilities fulfil their potential through its grant program.
In the first two years of Ability Fest, punters helped the foundation raise a mind-blowing $500,000 – how’s that for a good cause?
As the nation’s first and only 100% inclusive and completely accessible music festival, we reckon this is one for the books.
To find out more information on Ability Fest, head to the website here.
Photo: Anthony Delanoix
