Footscray’s New Riverside Stage Opens This Weekend With Free Live Music

Melbourne’s west is getting a new outdoor stage, and its opening weekend won’t cost you a thing. More than three years in the making, Lango opens at Footscray Community Arts with Lango Live on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, a free two-day celebration featuring KAIIT, Shewita, Yolngu electronic outfit Drifting Clouds, DJs Mothafunk, Naycab and Afrodisiac, plus a secret performer still to be revealed.

Set on the banks of the Maribyrnong River, the new performance and gathering space was designed by MGS Architects and Simone Bliss Landscape Architects through a First Nations-led approach. Its sculptural canopy draws inspiration from river reeds and First Nations weaving, with patterns by South East Kulin Nations artist Moorina Bonini representing Ancestors looking down on the performers.

Beneath it, a custom outdoor sprung floor caters to dance performances and Melbourne’s weather, while an accessible shared pathway incorporates bronze artworks and recycled bluestone from the site’s former amphitheatre. The name Lango means “on the edge” in Woi-wurrung, gifted by Wurundjeri Elder Aunty Annette Xiberras in a nod to the riverside location and the west’s spirit of innovation.

Indigenous-owned caterer Jarrah will provide food and drinks, with a smoking ceremony taking place early on Friday’s official opening day. Friday is already sold out, but free Saturday tickets are available to reserve through Footscray Community Arts.

Image credit: Footscray Community Arts | Supplied