This is a region that has birthed multiple festivals and now a new festival, Dingo, springs into life this Thursday bringing an exciting mix of local and international music to the community.
Focused on Bangalow, Dingo Festival will bring a diverse range of music, arts, and performers to Bangalow with the opening and closing nights in Byron.
‘We have been playing with this idea where it’s not a jazz festival, but kind of everything about the festival is jazz in terms that it is improvisational and there’s a lot of spontaneity,’ Festival Director and ringleader, Si Jay Gould, told The Echo.
Working with Bangalow’s Gary Ashton from Flo Rrecords and Matt Rabbidge, co-owner of the Eltham Pub, Si says there will be award-winning rappers, listening sessions, dance music, performance art, and more bringing the town of Bangalow alive throughout the weekend.
‘We feel like there is a real need to have something like this here, and so we’ve pulled together all of these different local businesses to try to do something which celebrates that essence. So many local businesses and parts of the community have just opened up their venues to us. Bangalow is a town that is super Australian, and we like the idea of trying to bring something futuristic into somewhere that’s very Australian.’
Koroko opens the festival this Thursday at The Northern Hotel followed by a dynamic Friday evening in Bangalow with multiple venues hosting bands, DJs and performers. Saturday will see events throughout Bangalow and Byron before a free Sunday opens up the festival for everyone to enjoy. Hiatus Kaiyote closes the event at The Beachy in Byron.
‘We want to create that great community atmosphere of the Bangalow Billycart Derby on the Sunday,’ explained Si.
‘All the venues across Bangalow are free on Sunday and it has a focus on more family-friendly activities, big gospel bands, lots of sort of Latin-inspired sounds, DJs and Brazilian bands, as well as electronic music.
‘We want it to be where everyone comes and feels that freedom, and the spirit, like the Billycart Derby. Everyone’s just there and they’re just enjoying being part of it, part of the sunshine, part of the activities of the day. Just being there and occupying the town itself. We wanted Bangalow to kind of be the instrument that we try to play collectively.’
Explore what Dingo has to offer on pages 19–26.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
