Spilt Milk set for bumper Ballarat return

Preparation will soon be under way at Victoria Park for the return of Spilt Milk music festival.

Large tents will be visible on the Gillies Street side of the park in the coming days as setup begins, with more than 40,000 people expected to pack Victoria Park for the one-day festival on Saturday 2 December.

In what will be the third time the event has been held in Ballarat, it will feature more than 20 Australian and international acts, headlined by American artist Post Malone.  

Ballarat rapper Sami Regague, who won the Triple J Unearthed All-Ages Tour Competition in 2021, will also feature on stage.

In 2022 the event contributed an estimated $5 million to the Ballarat economy, more than triple the average Saturday expenditure in the city.  

With accommodation options already exhausted, almost 10,000 more tickets sold this year and the festival being sold out for months, the economic impact is expected to be even greater this year.

In response to feedback last year, the City of Ballarat will trial a new temporary Telstra tower to boost mobile phone coverage for attendees and nearby residents, who reported a lack of connectivity in 2022.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said Spilt Milk had proved to be an enormous offering on Ballarat’s events calendar.

The event was first held in Ballarat in 2019 and returned in 2022 following two COVID-interrupted years.

“We saw last year that the event was a vibrant display of energy and I know that this year will be no different,” Cr Hudson said.

“Being able to attract this event highlights Ballarat as a genuine destination city and we are thrilled to see the city come to life every year.”

Victoria Park will be closed to vehicles from 6am on Monday 27 November to allow for the safe setting up of the festival.

Most of the park will remain open to foot traffic, although there will be further fencing restricting all access to the festival site on the western side of Victoria Park and camping areas.

The Inclusive Play Space will be closed all day on Saturday 2 December, but will be fully open on all other days.

Road closures

The following road closures will be in place to ensure the event can be safely delivered:

• Victoria Park (Cedar Drive, Poplar Avenue and Pine Avenue): Fully closed from 7am on Monday 27 November to 6pm on Friday 8 December.
• Gillies Street, south bound: Closed from 10am Saturday 2 December to 1.30am on Sunday 3 December.
• Gillies Street (north bound) closure 1: Partial closure between Napier Street and Sturt Street from 10am-7pm on Saturday 2 December. Access to residents and businesses remain between Winter Street and Napier Street, entering from Winter Street.
• Gillies Street (north bound) closure 2: Full closure between Winter Street and Sturt Street from 5pm on Saturday 2 December to 1.30am Sunday 3 December. Detours in place.
• Gillies Street side roads: access available via Longley Street.

Noise notifications

Amplified music will be used between the following times:    

• Friday 1 December, 3pm-5pm (systems check)  
• Friday 1 December, 2pm-6pm (sound check)  
• Saturday 2 December, 10am-11am (sound check)  
• Saturday 2 December, 11am-11pm (event)  

For more information visit the Spilt Milk website.