Groovin the Moo is an annual music festival that was held primarily in regional centres across Australia. The festival was held during autumn, typically in May of each year.
Groovin the Moo was established by Cattleyard Promotions and their first festival was held on Sunday 24 April 2005 in Gloucester, New South Wales. The festivals were held each year until 2019, but in 2020 and 2021 there were no festivals because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Groovin the Moo returned in 2022 and 2023, but insufficient ticket sales led to the cancellation of the 2024 festival, before it returned in 2026 as a scaled-down single festival date in order to have a sustainable regrowth.
History The first incarnation of the festival occurred on 24 April 2005 at the Gloucester Showgrounds in New South Wales with crowds of over 1400, continuing to Narrandera (NSW Riverina) with crowds exceeding 1800. The following year the festival took place in Maitland, Albury and Darwin.
2007 was a break-through year for the festival, with headlining Australian act Silverchair and successful international act The Black Keys headlining, along with the largely popular Hilltop Hoods, John Butler Trio and You Am I. In 2008 Townsville was added to the tour's circuit, with Bendigo being added the following year.
2010 saw the inclusion of Bunbury and Canberra, with all shows selling out across the country.
In 2014, an Oakbank show was added to the tour and went on to sell out.
Australia's first pill testing trial was held at the 2018 festival in Canberra.
In 2020, and 2021, festivals were not held because of restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. Tickets purchased for 2020 were valid for the event in 2022.
The 2024 and 2025 festivals did not go ahead; the former due to poor ticket sales and the latter due to financial concerns.
Festivals venues CityState/TerritoryVenueFestivalsAlbury NSW Albury Racecourse2006–2007Bendigo VIC Prince of Wales Showground2009–2019, 2022–2023Bunbury WA Hay Park2010–2019, 2023Canberra ACT University of Canberra (2010–2018)Exhibition Park (2019, 2022–2023) 2010–2019, 2022–2023Darwin NT Darwin Amphitheatre2006Gloucester NSW Gloucester Showground2005Maitland NSW Maitland Showground2006–2019, 2022–2023Narrandera NSW Narrandera Showground2005Oakbank SA Oakbank Racecourse2014–2016Townsville QLD Lou Litster Park (2008–2009)Murray Sporting Complex (2010–2019, 2022–2023) 2008–2019Wayville SA Adelaide Showground2017–2019, 2023Sunshine CoastQLD Kawana Sports Western Precinct 2023Lismore NSW Oakes Oval2026-
Lineups year by year As listed on the official website. Bold indicates headline act. All acts are Australian unless stated otherwise.
2005 ArtistGloucesterNarranderaScreaming Jets Yes No Killing Heidi Yes No Evermore Yes No The Spazzys Yes No Sender Yes No Supersonic Yes No Retro Rockets Yes No Solver Yes No Dirty Pink Jeans Yes No The Common Code Yes No Halo Yes No Bullshit Rare Yes No Grinspoon No Yes Spiderbait No Yes The Pictures No Yes Sarah McLeod No Yes Neon No Yes Star Assassin No Yes Local Knowledge (NZ)No Yes Notes The Narrandera show was also known by some sources as "Groovin the Moo 2". While www.GTM.net.au still references the Narrandera show as taking place under the "ABOUT GTM" section, it is not referenced under the "PAST LINEUPS" section bringing into question the official status of this show today.
2006 MaitlandDarwinAlburyHilltop Hoods Yes No Yes Shihad Yes No No End of Fashion Yes No No The Herd Yes No No Faker Yes No No Clare Bowditch and the Feeding Set Yes No No The Vasco Era Yes No No True Live Yes Yes Yes Modular Lounge Yes No No Local Knowledge (NZ) Yes No No Bullshit Rare Yes Yes Yes Gomez (UK) No Yes NoYouth Group No Yes YesAugie March No Yes No The Mess Hall No Yes No The Drones No Yes No Ash Grunwald No Yes No John Butler Trio No No Yes You Am I No No Yes The Fumes No No Yes The Exploders No No Yes The Audreys No No Yes Trail Kennedy No No Yes Star Assassin No No Yes Notes "Gomez", from the United Kingdom, is credited as the first international act to appear at Groovin The Moo on www.GTM.net.au. However "Local Knowledge", from New Zealand, played twice before "Gomez" first appearance, once in 2005 & once in 2006.
2007 Maitland Albury Silverchair Yes No The Black Keys (US) Yes No You Am I Yes No The Presets Yes No Sneaky Sound System Yes YesMidnight Juggernauts Yes YesAirborne Yes YesThe Morning After Girls Yes No Mia Dyson Yes YesMacromantics Yes No Kid Confucius Yes YesThe Camels Yes No Snowman Yes No 2 Dogs DJs Yes No Trial Kennedy Yes No Astronomy Class Yes Yes Tongue and Diaz Yes No Radical Son Yes No Hermitude Yes Yes Good Buddha Yes No Mister Savona Yes No The Porkers Yes No Grinspoon No Yes Xavier Rudd No Yes Blue King Brown No Yes Clare Bowditch and The Feeding Set No Yes The Bamboos No Yes Mammal No Yes Horsell Common No Yes Third Estate No Yes Urthboy No Yes The Tongue No Yes Mista Savona No Yes Unkle Ho No Yes Combat Wombat No Yes Diafrix No Yes Notes A Maitland Showground 12 May. B Albury Racecourse 24 November.
2008 Maitland Townsville The Presets Yes Yes Sneaky Sound System Yes Yes The Herd Yes Yes Spiderbait Yes Yes Gyroscope Yes Yes Karnivool Yes Yes Custom Kings Yes Yes The Galvatrons Yes No Little Red Yes No Katalyst Yes Yes The Potbelleez Yes Yes Azzido Da Bass (GER)Yes Yes Pitch Black (NZ) Yes NoBass Kleph Yes YesDirty Laundry Yes NoMark Dynamix Yes NoHercules in NY Yes NoAmber Savage Yes YesThat 1 Guy (USA)No YesResin Dogs Sound System No YesThe Last Kinection Yes NoBeats Working Yes NoThe Middle East No YesLover No Yes Notes A Maitland Showground 26 April. B Lou Lister Park 3 May.
2009 The Living End Hilltop Hoods The Grates De La Soul (USA) Architecture in Helsinki Little Birdy Muscles (DJ Set) Infusion Okkervil River (USA) Ratatat (USA) The Drones Van She Tame Impala Miami Horror (Live) The Twelves (Brazil) Horrorshow Christer (CAN) Hercules in NY Art vs. Science My Own Enemy - Pushover Winner
2 May 2009 – Lou Litster Park, Townsville. 9 May 2009 – Maitland Showground, Maitland. 16 May 2009 – Prince of Wales Showground's, Bendigo.
2010 Vampire Weekend (USA) Silverchair Empire of the Sun Grinspoon Tegan and Sara (CAN) Spoon (USA) British India Lisa Mitchell Miami Horror Kisschasy Bag Raiders Kid Koala presents The Slew Live (CAN) Muph and Plutonic Funkoars Space Invadas Illy Ajax Jonathan Boulet Yacht Club DJs Killaqueens The Only
Saturday 1 May, Bendigo, Prince of Wales Showground. Sunday 2 May, Townsville, Murray Sporting Complex – Townsville Cricket Grounds. Saturday 8 May, Maitland, Maitland Showground. Sunday 9 May, Canberra, The Meadows, University of Canberra. Saturday 15 May, Bunbury, Hay Park.
2011 360 (Bunbury only) AC Slater (USA) Art vs. Science Architecture in Helsinki The Aston Shuffle Birds of Tokyo Bliss n Eso Boy & Bear (Bunbury only) Cut Copy Darwin Deez (USA) Datarock (NOR) Drapht The Drums (USA) The Go! Team (UK) Gotye Gyroscope The Holidays Horrorshow House of Pain (USA) The Jezabels Nina Las Vegas Triple J Sampology AV/DJ Set Unkle-Live (UK) Washington The Wombats (UK) The Wombats and The Holidays pulled out of the Bunbury show due to overseas commitments. They were replaced by Boy & Bear along with 360 and Pez.
Sat 30 April, Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo. Sun 1 May, Townsville Cricket Grounds, Townsville. Sat 7 May, Maitland Showground, Maitland. Sun 8 May, The Meadows, University of Canberra. Sat 14 May, Hay Park, Bunbury.
2012 360 Adrian Lux (SWE) Andrew WK (USA) One Man Party Tour Ball Park Music Beni Big Scary Bluejuice Chiddy Bang (USA)Chiddy Bang pulled out in Feb 2012 to be replaced by Ballpark Music – Chiddy Bang off the Groovin' the Moo lineup City and Colour (CAN) Digitalism (GER) The Getaway Plan Gold Fields Hermitude Hilltop Hoods Kaiser Chiefs (UK) Kimbra The Maccabees (UK) Matt Corby Muscles Mutemath (USA) Naysayer & Gilsun Parkway Drive Public Enemy (USA) Purple Sneakers DJs San Cisco Wavves (USA) Local band Juwana opened the moo tent after winning competition Ball Park Music replaced Chiddy Bang, who withdrew from the lineup so they could focus on promoting their (at the time) upcoming album.
Sat 5 May, Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo. Sun 6 May, Murray Sporting Complex, Townsville. Sat 12 May, Maitland Showground, Maitland. Sun 13 May, The Meadows, Canberra. Sat 19 May, Hay Park, Bunbury.
2013 Allday (Bunbury only) Alison Wonderland Alpine The Amity Affliction The Bronx (USA) DZ Deathrays (DJ Set) Example (UK) Flume Frightened Rabbit (UK) Hungry Kids of Hungary The Kooks (UK) Last Dinosaurs Matt & Kim (USA) Midnight Juggernauts Pez Regurgitator Seth Sentry ShockOne Tame Impala Tegan and Sara (CAN) The Temper Trap They Might Be Giants (USA) Tuka With Ellesquire Urthboy DJ Woody's Big Phat 90's Mixtape (UK) Yacht (USA) Yolanda Be Cool During Pez's performance at the Bunbury show, 360 came on stage and performed "The Festival Song" Urthboy pulled out of the Bunbury show due to illness and was replaced with Allday
Sat 27 Apr, Maitland Showground, Maitland. Sun 28 Apr, University of Canberra, Canberra. Sat 4 May, Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo. Sun 5 May, Murray Sporting Complex, Townsville. Sat 11 May, Hay Park, Bunbury.
2014 Action Bronson (USA) Andy Bull Allday Architecture in Helsinki Cults (USA) Disclosure (UK) Dizzee Rascal (UK) Holy F**K (CAN) Illy The Jezabels The Jungle Giants Karnivool Kingswood The Kite String Tangle Loon Lake The Naked and Famous (NZ) Parkway Drive Peking Duk The Presets Robert Delong (USA) Thundamentals Vance Joy Violent Soho Wave Racer What So Not Action Bronson cancelled his appearance at GTM 2014 due to ""unforeseen circumstances regarding recording commitments" and was replaced by Allday
Friday, 25 April, Oakbank Racecourse, Oakbank. Saturday, 26 April, Maitland Showground, Maitland. Sunday, 27 April, University of Canberra. Saturday, 3 May, Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo. Sunday, 4 May, Murray Sporting Complex, Townsville. Saturday, 10 May, Hay Park, Bunbury.
2015 ASAP Ferg (USA) Ball Park Music Broods (NZ) Carmada Charli XCX (UK) The Delta Riggs DMA's Flight Facilities Hermitude Hilltop Hoods Hot Dub Time Machine Meg Mac Northlane One Day Peace (UK) Peaches (CAN) The Preatures RL Grime (USA) San Cisco Saskwatch Sticky Fingers Tkay Maidza Wolfmother You Me at Six (UK)
Saturday 25 April, Oakbank Racecourse, Oakbank. Sunday 26 April, Hay Park, Bunbury. Saturday 2 May, Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo. Sunday 3 May, University of Canberra, Canberra. Saturday 9 May, Maitland Showground, Maitland. Sunday 10 May, Murray Sports Complex, Townsville.
2016 Alison Wonderland Boo Seeka Boy & Bear British India Client Liaison Danny Brown (USA) Drapht DZ Deathrays Emma Louise Golden Features Harts In Hearts Wake Illy Jarryd James MS MR (USA) Mutemath (USA) Ngaiire Odesza (USA) Of Monsters and Men (ISL) (Bunbury only) Ratatat (USA) REMI The Rubens Safia Twenty One Pilots (USA) Vallis Alps Vic Mensa (USA) What So Not Mutemath and Vic Mensa cancelled their appearances at GTM 2016 for unspecified reasons and were replaced by Jarryd James and What So Not Of Monsters and Men were added to the lineup, but only for the Bunbury show
Saturday, 23 April, Maitland Showground, Maitland. Sunday, 24 April, University of Canberra, Canberra. Monday, 25 April, Oakbank Racecourse, Oakbank. Saturday, 30 April, Bendigo's Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo. Sunday, 1 May, Townsville Cricket Grounds, Townsville. Saturday, 7 May, Hay Park, Bunbury.
2017 Against Me! (USA) Allday Amy Shark Architects (UK) The Darkness (UK) Dillon Francis (USA) DRAM (USA) George Maple Hayden James The Jungle Giants K.Flay (USA) L-FRESH the Lion Loyle Carner (UK)