Forget Abbey Road and Strawberry Fields, Beatlemania is about to hit the Seven Valleys with a first of its kind festival in Australia, dedicated to The Beatles which is expected to attract thousands of visitors to the region.
BeatlesFest 7 Valleys is the brainchild of Music Documentary filmmakers and Lithgow locals Jonathan Sequeria and Wade Jackson who wanted to not only pay homage to the ‘Fab Four’, but also showcase the region.
“No other group has inspired such adulation or been so timelessly appealing. Beatles fans are all ages and can be found anywhere, and this October long weekend they’ll be right here in Seven Valleys,” Jonathan says.
“They are one of the greatest bands of all time and the 60s were just this really cool time of fashion and hairstyles, mini-skirts, Carnaby Street and Vespas. It’s a time we look back on fondly and we will be recreating some of that with this festival,” he says.
BeatlesFest 7 Valleys is being held on the October long weekend from Friday 29th September to Sunday October 1st and will be packed with bands, a night market, street performers, vintage and vinyl markets, 60s nostalgia, rock’n’roll, a photo exhibition, dress up competitions, a Ukulele workshop, Beatles karaoke and even Beatles Bingo, with 40 events across 20 venues in Lithgow, Portland and Wallerawang.
Wade says there’s been a huge revival of love and appreciation of The Beatles and Seven Valleys is the perfect place to host this type of festival.
“It’s going to be an incredible weekend of live music with tribute bands, including one performing on the roof of the Royal Hotel in Wallerawang and the 7 Valleys Hotel in Lithgow, replicating the Beatles rooftop set on the Apple headquarters in 1969,” he says.
“There’s a BeatlesFest in Liverpool of course, where Paul, John, Ringo and George hail from and now there’ll be one here in the Lithgow area,” he says.
“You know a beautiful town like Lithgow is not so different from Liverpool in the UK. It’s a working man’s area and we’ve got our mining industry, and it certainly gets cold here.”
Jonathan and Wade want BeatlesFest 7 Valleys to become an annual event, held on the October Long Weekend every year.
“There’s a real buzz about town. I was walking down the street the other day and this lady came up to me and started singing “She loves you, (Yeah, Yeah, Yeah),” Wade says.
“Even the Mayor has made sure Paul McCartney’s manager knows about the event.
“Sometimes Lithgow is an overlooked town, but it’s only two hours from Sydney and it’s just beautiful. BeatlesFest 7 Valleys is the excuse you need.”
“It’s a really unique combination of fun and nostalgia for all ages with 20 tribute artists across 14 venues and three towns.”
BeatlesFest 7 Valleys highlights include:
- Tribute band “The Beatels”
- Rock photo exhibit in Lithgow featuring original images from local photographer David Wallace as well as stories from his time in London in the 60s.
- Vintage and Vinyl market in Portland
- Kaiserkeller German beer hall calling upon the Beatles time in Hamburg
- Rooftop Beatles in Wallerawang
- Beatles Bingo in Portland
- Brass Beatles picnic in Lithgow
- Beatles Barefoot Bowls in Lithgow
- Beatles Karaoke in Lithgow
- Twilight markets and bonfire in Portland
- Beatles Trivia in Lithgow
- Swinging sixties High Tea in Lithgow
- Limited Edition Beatlesfest Beer from Zig Zag Brewery
About BeatlesFest 7 Valleys
BeatlesFest 7 Valleys is the first of its kind festival dedicated to the Beatles in Australia. The event, to be held on the October Long weekend – Friday 29th September to Sunday October 1st – with 40 events across 20 venues in three towns, including a main stage at the Cook St Plaza in Lithgow.
