St Jeromes Laneway Festival

An independent music festival held in a laneway

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival (Laneway Festival) is an annual independent music festival that started in an inner city Melbourne laneway in 2004. It launched in Brisbane in 2007 at the Zoo in Ann Street, Fortitude Valley. The 2007 event featured two stages, one indoor and one outdoor in the laneway behind the Zoo. In 2008 the festival was expanded to three stages with two surrounding streets effectively shut down for the duration of the festival.

Laneway Festival is renowned for its intimate setting, having sold out both the 2007 and 2008 Brisbane events. This event includes Rock, DJ Dance, Country/Blue Grass, Jazz/Blues, Soul/Funk, HipHop/RnB, Disco/Retro and Pop. Laneway Festival endeavours to rework urban space in a creative and unintended manner. This is reflected in the moving of the 2009 Brisbane Laneway Festival to Alexandria Lane located in a primarily industrial and commercial part of Fortitude Valley.

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival began in Melbourne in 2004. Laneway Festival quickly grew to incorporate interstate festivals with the first show taking place in Sydney in 2006. In 2007 and 2008 Laneway Festival was launched in Brisbane and Adelaide respectively. Planning is underway for a Perth Laneway Festival in 2009. Laneway Festival has expanded from showcasing predominantly local independent bands to featuring a combination of international, national and local artists.

Last updated by Samantha Smallbone (2009-10-21)