Lilith Fair coming toAustralia

Mon 17th May, 2010 in Local News

The Lilith Fair festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, originally ran in the summers of 1997 to 1999 with a lineup of female solo artists and female-led bands.

After a decade long hiatus the festival has returned to tour the States in 2010 and according to one of the festival’s co-founders it will make an international venture to include Australia on the itinerary in September.

Defamer reports that in a recent interview with The Advocate, Sarah McLachlan’s manager (and co-founder of Lilith Fair) Terry McBride claimed that “We’re definitely thinking 2010-2011 and then we’re expanding it outside of North America. We’re going to Australia in September and the first week of October. We’re going to the U.K. marketplace indoors in late October. Then over to Japan and Asia in March. Back into North America for the summer of 2011.”

McBride explained that the festival is aiming to become an international concept. “What we’re trying to do is expand the Lilith brand and concept because this concept can work anywhere. It just has to be the people with the will and the desire and the passion to make it happen.”

The festival also hopes to help break female performers in new markets by booking them to tour with international festival – “Over time, those international artists get a footprint and can come to North America… We can put on Kate Miller [Heidke] along with Missy Higgins knowing that they’re going to be key to a Lilith Fair in Australia.”

As an indication of the potential line up Australian punters could see in September, the line up for this year’s North American tour includes Beth Orton, Carly Simon, Cat Power, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu, Go-Go’s, Gossip, Heart, Indigo Girls, Kelly Clarkson, Loretta Lynn, Mary J. Blige, Metric, Norah Jones, Queen Latifah, Rihanna, Sarah McLachlan, Selena Gomez, Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Vega, Tegan and Sara, and The Bangles.

The announcement that Lilith Fair will be coming to Australia coincides with rumours strongly tipping September tours by PJ Harvey and Portishead.