Brother’s vision for music festival

A one-day music festival with the potential to attract thousands of visitors to the Wimmera is on the cards for early next year.

Horsham brothers Sam and Levi Mellington, who play in Melbourne-based two piece Travalley, are in early planning stages to see what major headlining acts they could attract to play at the Horsham festival.

The brothers are looking at Horsham Soundshell at Sawyer Park, one of the largest outdoor ampitheatres in western Victoria, as a potential festival location.

Levi said having acclaimed bands such as Western Australia’s Spacey Jane or Sydney’s Lime Cordiale play would be a sure way to attract a massive crowd for the event.

“Just with those bands alone, you would sell out the event,” he said.

“Spacey would be a great option as their drummer and manager Kieran Lama has a link back to the region.

“We’re also exploring what mid-level bands we could get involved too, like Alice Skye, who also has a connection to the region, and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers.”

The brothers have been communicating with Horsham Rural City Council and are exploring all options to gain financial backing for the event, including grants and sponsorship.

Levi said it would be a priority to link the festival into Horsham hospitality and catering businesses and ensure the community could benefit from visitation generated from the event.

Traction is already building for the concept after the brothers announced the plans on Facebook earlier this week, asking people across the region what bands they would like to see at the festival. More than 800 people have acknowledged the post.