BOTH

Sooki Fest brings some of Melbourne's most exciting talent to the hills for a Friday night packed with great tunes and big energy. We're putting on a vibrant night for the Hills community and beyond. Get ready for a diverse evening of music at the beloved Sooki. BOTH return to headline their 4th Sooki show off the back of their overseas adventures — writing and recording in London before performing at the iconic Dublin Castle in Camden, a venue that's hosted the likes of Amy Winehouse, Blur, and Arctic Monkeys. Drawing influence from their surroundings, the people they meet, and the music they love, BOTH bring an energetic live show that leaves a lasting impression. Formed in 2024, Erica Avenue is a rising, all-girl, 5-piece alt-pop band from Naarm/Melbourne. Inspired by the likes of Mia Wray and The Beaches, the band's tight, inviting musical chemistry has seen them amass a growing, deeply engaged audience — including multiple sold-out headline shows across Melbourne. Most notable is the organic, self-made energy surrounding the band, which is drawing fans from every corner, driven purely by the quality of their music and presence on and off stage. Grace de Vos is a Melbourne/Naarm-based songwriter. Rooted in folk but not confined by it. Her music leans confidently into indie, rock, and pop influences. Grace writes songs that hold space for the unsaid — reflecting on conflict, self-reckoning, and the messiness of human relationships with a perspective that only comes with distance, honesty, and time. The result is emotional truth without apology. On stage, she brings a quiet intensity: open, vulnerable, and deliberate. After the live sets, stick around and get your dancing shoes on — the night closes out with four DJ sets from Mikey D, BANTA., Who Loved Pablo, and Nautical, closing off a vibrant evening with a high. Mikey D brings his signature high-energy dance remixes and hard-hitting percussion, fresh off supporting acts like Mallrat and Ninajirachi at festivals across the country. BANTA. bring their globally-minded, DIY dance-floor sound to the decks, drawing on a catalogue that spans lo-fi hits, European-inspired sample series, and collaborations with artists across the world. Who Loved Pablo, the project of Aram Cohen, brings bass, jungle and trip-hop influences together into psychedelic, bass-heavy sets shaped by years of DJing everywhere from outback doofs to Nepali mountainsides. Nautical, aka Nat Thomas Steer, layers in an atmospheric blend of electronic and ambient sound, weaving field recordings and birdsong into immersive, textured sets.