The third annual pilgrimage to Yonder took place from the 25th to 27th November in the rollings hills of the Mary Valley (Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi Country).

There are few times and places in life where the truly unimaginable takes place; and in
these moments, these precious few instances, where reality drifts and fantasy takes hold, is where Yonder exists.

Yonder acknowledges that First Nations people were the first artists on this land, stretching back for thousands of years; in particular the Kabi Kabi peoples whose country is where our festival now stands.

Each year, a new artist is commissioned to reimagine the Yonder experience in the official festival artwork as our featured visual artist. This Yonder 2021, we’re excited to have established Indigenous Australian illustrator and artist Tori-Jay Mordey join our talented community to share with us her interpretation of Yonder.

Growing up, Tori-Jay Mordey often openly shared both her Torres Strait Islander and English heritage, which is often reflected in her contemporary Indigenous art practice. Having honed her skills over the years, her illustrative works conceptually explore deeper human emotions – often drawn as longingly expressive, exaggerated cartoon characters.

Follow us down the rabbit hole and enter into a realm of discovery and human expression. Allow us to immerse you in the unconventional, the stranger and the eclectic. Together we will experience the spectacular art and performances of home-grown artists and witness the special moments that blossom within our positive, supportive and inclusive community.

Alongside an extensive music program across four stages, the festival maintains an equal focus on music, visual art, theatre, dance, talks and workshops scattered throughout an expansive and immersive festival site.

This is the festival to discover a new love.

For the first time we introduced The Space Between Notes – an other-worldly nook where you can slow down, explore and dream as you discover the secrets of the forest. Let the ambient and experimental sets envelop your soul in a warm embrace. Pause. Listen. Let the silence resonate and reverberate beyond the hum of the earth as you immerse yourself in this healing experience.

Dive headfirst into the enchanting Spiegeltent and be whisked away on a wild ride. Accommodating the Wunderbar, this cheeky tent will host workshops and a live band stage in the daytime before taking you on an debaucherous journey come nightfall. Come relish in the seamless pairing between cabaret, burlesque, cirque and comedy in an irreverent celebration of sex, kink and BDSM that’s bound to get you hot under the collar.

Having cultivated a strong culture of innovation, community and commitment to the moment – join us on this wondrous journey as we continue to adapt, transform and perfect the experience.

Yonder is a project born out of love and passion from a small team of creatives who have dedicated their lives to supporting the arts and the human connections that come through experiential engagement. Throughout the past two iterations of the festival (even through the pandemic) and other events, the team is grateful for a community that has always rallied their support behind these projects – be it through sales, volunteering or even a kind word.