Podcasts Get the Festival Treatment With Dome Fest

Australia has some of the most engaged podcast audiences in the world – and our charts are dominated by homegrown talent. Two Sydney friends, Sophie Greiner and Bella Filacuridi, saw untapped potential in that combination. Enter Dome Fest, Australia’s first-ever podcast fan festival, taking place at Hordern Pavilion on March 29.

“When Bella and I met, some of our first conversations were around how much we both loved listening to Shameless,” says Greiner. “When you find out someone listens to the same podcast, that connection clicks instantly. You understand who they are, their interests, their values.”

That initial spark became the foundation for Dome, a community app and audience insights platform bringing listeners and hosts together. While the app is still in beta mode, the duo are whetting appetites with this one-day festival.

“We wanted to keep it fun – pop culture, relationships, dating, sex, identity – all the things we’re talking about. We wanted to bring these conversations out of the group chat and onto the stage,” says Greiner.

Dome Fest’s debut line-up features five leading local podcasters, including It’s a Lot host Abbie Chatfield; Hannah Ferguson and Sarah-Jane Adams from Big Small Talk; Jemma Sbeg of the hugely popular The Psychology of Your 20s; and Kat Sasso from Momentum by Missing Perspectives. And between each talk, performer Milo Hartrill will be MCing.

Make no mistake, though, these aren’t live podcast recordings. (In fact, the conversations won’t be recorded at all.) Each session will have its own format that reflects the style of the show, but audience involvement and interactivity will be key to each performance.

Beyond the stage, there will also be food trucks, bars, DJs and dedicated debrief zones.

Greiner and Filacuridi are encouraging solo attendees. “This is a festival you can go to alone because it’s specifically designed for meeting new people,” says Greiner. “If you’re curious but don’t have people who love the same podcasts, take a risk. You might meet someone who loves the same thing you do.”

Tickets are on sale now.

homeofdome.com/domefest

@domefest