Mona Foma 2023

Fri 17th February, 2023 – Sun 26th February, 2023
Mona Foma, Hobart and Launceston, Various locations and venues
The annual summer festival in Tasmania returns in February with a swag of international heavyweights and essential local talent alike.

Tassie mainstay Mona Foma returns to Launceston and Hobart this summer with its largest line-up in years.

The festival’s first weekend in Launceston (Friday February 17 to Sunday February 19) will see Mercury Music Prize winner Kae Tempest, Flying Nun stalwarts The Chills, French synthwave producer Pertubator and Nashville singer-songwriter Soccer Mommy perform.

Also gracing the festivities are Australian acts including east African-influenced Chikchika, Yirinda, led by Butchulla songman Leone and contrabass wizard Samuel Pankhurst, and the genre-fusing Punjabi-Australian artist Parvyn. There’s also Turiya Always: a celebration of spiritual jazz legend Alice Coltrane, by a specially curated supergroup of harp, sax, drums, piano, double bass, vibraphone and more.

In Hobart the festival’s second week festivities kick off from Tuesday February 21, with Wisconsin’s finest export Bon Iver performing at MyState Bank Arena in the biggest concert Mona Foma has ever staged. On Friday February 24, the Hobart Mona sessions commence with electropop provocateur Peaches celebrating the 20th anniversary of her seminal album The Teaches of Peaches, supported by Canberra-based musician and sound artist Shoeb Ahmad and an improvised solo drum set from Chloe Kim.

On Saturday February 25, American indie staples Pavement and Angel Olsen join UK duo Jockstrap and the multi-influenced Van Diemen’s Band + Ensemble Kaboul. The festival closes out on Sunday February 26 with pioneering feminist punks Bikini Kill playing their first Australian show in over 25 years. Also on the Sunday line-up are Malian singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré; Mutti Mutti songman Kutcha Edwards and his band; and the soulful sounds of Yorta-Yorta, Yirendali and Kalkadoon woman and artist Miss Kaninna.

With over 370 artists performing across the entire festival, Mona Foma sweeps well beyond its Hobart art gallery and musical headliners. In Launceston, the Reunión district festival club also plays host to a free party weekend between February 17 and 19, while Faux Mo returns to the Hobart line-up as The Party, with DJs, dance, karaoke, art interventions and more.

See the full program . Tickets are on now on sale.

Broadsheet is a proud media partner of Mona.

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