Half Bent Music Festival is back in 2026!!
The Half Bent Music Festival is a 3 day event that aims to share Melbourne-made music with the people of Merri-bek. All festival events will take place in West Brunswick, mostly on Melville Road with all venues accessible via the 58 Tram. Half bent is a volunteer group committed to fostering creative music & art in local communities.
The 2026 Festival
The festival will run over the last weekend in May: Friday 29th - Sunday 31st
After a 10 year break, raising children, mid life crises and watching the world spin round, the Half bent duo of Gideon Brazil and Ronny Ferella have gathered a new team of young and inspiring change makers to bring music to the streets of West Brunswick.
From 2005-2015 the Half Bent team ran four much loved festivals around Melbourne, in Trades Hall, Arts House and Fitzroy Bowling Club. The festival champions new and creative music, and diversity of thought and artistic practice;
but most importantly the festival aims to connect curious listeners and people from all walks of life: with each other, with live music, with their own community.
The 2026 festival will be crowd funded and we are also asking for both financial and in kind support from local businesses and entities. Programming will take place via an initial expression of interest, followed by a selection process by the Half bent committee. We encourage local music makers to apply!
Half bent is a volunteer organisation and is powered by the energy and good will of it’s committee and helpers. Money is to raised to pay for venue hire, promotion, production hire and most importantly the performing musicians. All musicians performing in the festival will be paid for their work.
Half Bent Music Festival Organising Committee
Ronny Ferella - Ronny (he/him) is a longtime West Brunswick resident involved in community music, mostly through his work at Small Space Music and Merri-bek City Band. He is also a highly respected and beloved drummer/composer and educator.
Gideon Brazil - Gideon Brazil (he/him) plays saxophones, flute and clarinet, specialising in jazz, improvised and contemporary styles. He also runs 2nd Winds Australia, a small business that refurbishes and offers used musical instruments and accessories for sale, primarily woodwind and brass, and has worked in art administration for many years.
Merinda Dias-Jayasinha - Merinda (she/her) brings her producing and programming expertise to the Half Bent Music Festival and a dedication to the Australian improvisation, experimental, and jazz community as a creative vocalist herself.
Adam Halliwell - Adam (he/him) is a unique multi-instrumentalist and composer, recognised for his intimate and ever-evolving sound, and distinct enduring commitment to improvisation and experimentation across all his creative facets, including ARIA award-winning, Mildlife, and APRA Art Music nominated, I Hold The Lion’s Paw.
Flora Carbo - Flora (she/her) is a community driven musician and curator who been a part of the jazz and improv scene in Naarm for over 10 years. She has worked alongside curatorial organisations including the The Melbourne Jazz Cooperative, New North, Melbourne International Jazz Festival and regularly curates music for CERES, Brunswick.
Production Team
Craig Kelly graphics design/marketing
Ellie Fuller audio/visual production coordinator
Dean Kalait volunteer co-ordinator
Venues
Austramax House - outdoor venue stage and bar, holds approx 150-200 people, main festival meeting space with an outdoor performance stage and marquee, drinks and snacks available
Autramax House gallery Space - small gallery, holds 30-40 people
St John’s Anglican Church - approx 120 people seated, drinks and snacks available
4th Scout Hall Brunswick - situated in Jacob’s Reserve, approx 80 people
Shabooh Shoobah Cocktail Bar - used for listening sessions of locally recorded music, approx 100 people seated, drinks and snacks available
Daly’s Cafe - small coffee shop with courtyard, food and drink available
Brunswick Southwest Primary School Hall - large school school hall, approx 200 seated, food and drink available
Get involved
Join the team as a volunteer-contact us at halfbentmusicfestival@gmail.com
Wanna perform at the festival
click the on the button below and let us know who you are and what you do
DONATE
The Half Bent Music festival is completely community funded- Any financial or in kind donation will help us to create a music festival we can share with everyone.
Got a question? Send us an email at halfbentmusicfestival@gmail.com