Spilled Milk Festival: Australian music lovers brace for severe storms in Canberra as festival season kicks off and pill testing returns
Music lovers have dusted off their party gear and traveled to Canberra for Spilled Milk, but it could be a wet start to the summer festival season, with storms expected to dampen festivities into the evening.
The one-day festival runs from 11am to 11pm on Saturday with more than 40 artists, including Post Malone, Lime Cordiale and Peach PRC, performing on five stages.
Other artist highlights include Dom Dolla, Cub Sport, Lastlings, Aitch, Pacific Avenue and Ocean Alley.
Thousands of attendees were all smiles as they entered the highly anticipated annual festival in Canberra’s Exhibition Park.
However, some may regret choosing fashion over function as heavy thunderstorms are expected to hit the city after 5:45 p.m.
Thousands of Aussies headed to Canberra on Saturday for the Spilled Milk 2023 music festival
Attendees were all smiles as they entered Canberra’s Exhibition Park for 12 hours of music and fun
Thousands of music lovers entered the park for the festival, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The festival features more than 40 artists, including Post Malone, Lime Cordiale and Peach PRC, across five stages
Some festival-goers may regret choosing fashion over function as heavy thunderstorms are expected to hit the city by 5:45 p.m.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned that large hailstones, damaging winds, flash flooding and lightning will hit Canberra around 5.45pm.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned that large hailstones, damaging winds, flash flooding and lightning could hamper the event.
‘Stay indoors, away from windows,’ the ACT State Emergency Service warned,
“Never drive, walk or ride through floodwaters.”
Festival goers will have access to free pill testing for the first time this decade.
The service, run by Pill Testing Australia, allows visitors to test for deadly ingredients in medicines before taking them.
Visitors to Spilled Milk will have access to free pill testing in Australia for the first time this decade
Dom Dolla, Cub Sport, Lastlings, Aitch, Pacific Avenue and Ocean Alley all performed at Spilled Milk on Saturday
Pill Testing Australia and the ACT government’s pill testing site at City Community Health Centre, CANtest, are available to check for deadly ingredients in pills
Thunderstorms will cause flash flooding and large hail at the music festival on Saturday
Canberra is the first of four Spilled Milk festivals across Australia, with events in the Gold Coast, Ballarat and Perth to follow
Pill tests were last available at Groovin the Moo in 2019.
That year, seven cases of deadly ingredients were discovered and all participants threw away the dangerous pills.
The ACT Government’s pill testing site at the City Community Health Centre, CANtest, has also extended its weekend hours.
It was open Friday from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
Pill Testing Australia announced free testing at Spilled Milk online on Friday.
Canberra is the first of the Spilled Milk festivals with events in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia over the next two weekends
Canberra was the first Spilled Milk festival this year, tickets for the Gold Coast and Ballarat events are sold out
Spilled Milk festival goers were warned by the Bureau of Meteorology on Saturday that severe storms are expected to hit the city
Spilled Milk offers free pill tests – the last festival to offer the service in Australia was Groovin the Moo in 2019
Post Malone, Lime Cordiale, Peach PRC, Dom Dolla, Cub Sport, Lastlings, Aitch, Pacific Avenue and Ocean Alley are just some of the artists featured on Spilled Milk
“We are heading to Spilled Milk Canberra to offer free pill testing services to customers,” it said.
‘We are the only organization to have offered pill testing services at Australian festivals and are able to do this thanks to our incredibly dedicated team of qualified health, medical and analytical volunteers.
‘We rely on generous donations from the public to provide this free service.’
Canberra is the first of the Spilled Milk festivals with events in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia over the next two weekends.
Spilled Milk heads to the Gold Coast on Sunday, where festivals will take over the city’s sporting precinct from 10:30am to 10:30pm.
Thousands of Aussies attended Spilled Milk in Canberra on Saturday, ahead of three more Spilled Milk events
Spilled Milk festival goers will have access to free pill testing for the first time this decade
Spilled Milk heads to the Gold Coast on Sunday with festivals taking over the city’s sporting precinct from 10:30am to 10:30pm following the Canberra event
Organizers will get just five days’ rest before heading to Victoria Park in Ballarat, about 115km northwest of Melbourne, on Saturday, December 2.
The final festival ends on Sunday December 3 in Perth.
Tickets for the Gold Coast and Ballarat events are sold out.