Stonefest is an annual festival held at the University of Canberra during week eleven of the second semester to celebrate the laying of the University's Foundation Stone. Stonefest is run by UC Live - the music and live entertainment division of the UCX, who have been responsible for the event for its entire life span.
History
Stone Day started as a celebration at the University of Canberra held annually to mark the laying of the foundation stone by Prime MinisterJohn Gorton on 28 October 1968. This founded the Canberra College of Advanced Education, which became the University of Canberra in 1990. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded to take up a whole week in 1976. In the 1980s and 1990s Stoneweek became a popular Canberra entertainment event. In the 1990s it was given themes such as "Return to Woodstock", "Circus", "Back to the Beach", "Alien Abduction", "Oktoberfest", "Halloween" and "Stoneage". In the year 2000 the festival became Stonefest. For many years Stonefest was the largest music festival in Canberra and a popular one in Australia. In recent years other festivals have made their way onto the Canberra scene, including Groovin' The Moo and Foreshore Summer Music Festival, contributing to declining numbers for Stonefest. In 2012, organisers made the decision to return the festival to its roots as a University celebration, re-branding the event as Stone Day, giving it a fresh new look and feel and returning tickets to the student-friendly price of $25. In June 2019, Stonefest social media channels became active after a long hiatus, teasing the festival's return. On 11 June the lineup for Stonefest 2019 was announced, featuring artists from the local Canberra area, wider Australian music scene and a notable international artist in Example.
Past lineups
2001
"Super Heroes".
Artists included:
*The Cruel Sea
2002
"A New Frontier".
Artists included:
*TISM - one of the band members famously climbed up onto a nearby balcony totally nude.
Changes to the organisation of the festival saw the end of The Hub as a stage.
Artists included:
*Regurgitator
*Kora
*The Grates
*Faker - vocalist Nathan Hudson in usual style climbed the stage's structure multiple times
*Blue King Brown
*The Dandy Warhols
*Grinspoon
* plus others
2009
"Halloween"
Saturday 31 October
Superstage, The Bally
In 2009 Stonefest turned into a one-day festival in order to deliver a lineup that competed with the other 1 day music festivals recently introduced into the Canberra market in Trackside and Foreshore Summer Music Festival.
*Frenzal Rhomb - guitarist Lindsay "The Doctor" McDougall stapled his set list to a freakshow performer's chest during their set, while lead man Jay Whalley walked over a girl while she lay on glass.
*British India
*Children Collide
*Urthboy
*Art vs. Science
* MM9
* Jericco
* Ashleigh Mannix
* Hancock Basement
2010
"Turn Up The Heat"
Saturday 30 October
The Superstage, The Silent Party
The Silent Party was introduced in 2010 and featured Australia's best indie party DJ's.
