Concrete Playground

Fancy seeing in the New Year under the stars, dancing to live music on a soft green meadow tucked away deep within an emerald rainforest? Not so keen on traveling halfway across the country to get there? Well, good news Sydney festival lovers: Peats Ridge Festival has just revealed a rather handsome line-up for its 2010 bill, and it’s only a stone's throw from Sydney!

Probably the only festival where the line for the yoga tent exceeds the queue for the bar, Peats Ridge strives to create a calm, eco-friendly setting for its New Year’s soiree, minus any hectic festival vibes. The dreamy lineup includes Angus & Julia Stone, Lightspeed Champion, Kate Miller Heidke, Cloud Control, Space Invadas, Washington, Jonathan Boulet, Freestylers DJs and other Aussie and international acts — with more to be announced in the coming months. You can also fill your cultural belly with theatre, art, cabaret, comedy, a children’s festival for all ages and free workshops; along with yoga, market stalls, organic food and other festival goodies.

Only two hours drive north of Sydney, your new home for three days consists of green meadows framed by a two hundred metre high wooded escarpment that seals the valley from the rest of the world. A tree-lined creek winds through the valley, and the site is sprinkled with shady swimming holes and banks. Why would you ever leave? Buy yourself a teepee, sort out a carpool and book your tickets — they’re on sale now.