This year’s Laneway Festival at Flemington Racecourse was no exception with blistering sets, guest duos, and an 8 PM downpour that sent half the festival scrambling while the other endured through for one of the best headlining acts in years.

Just before midday on my favourite day of the year (Laneway day), I find myself in an Uber to Flemington Racecourse. It’s my first Laneway in Melbourne, though I haven’t missed the festival since 2018. Depending on who you ask, I was too early for anyone worth seeing, such as headliners Dominic Fike or Stormzy. But, as I prepared for my fifth Laneway, I knew I was in for a marathon day of the best up-and-coming local acts sharing the stage with some of the world’s finest talent.