Music Festival Melbourne 2015

Australia's music festival scene has taken some big blows over the last few years, with the demise of leading lights Future Music Festival, Big Day Out and Parklife. But the future still looks bright as the likes of Bluesfest, Stereosonic and Falls Festival keep up the country's proud tradition of outdoor summer partying.

#10 Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Headliners: Stefano Bollani, The Bad Plus, Tord Gustavsen Quartet

Melbourne's world-renowned jazz festival kicks us off, with the city's finest venues hosting a diverse programme of solo and group performances. Modern Masters and Explorations in Jazz represent the artform's international community pioneers and boundary-pushers.

Where & when: 28 May - 7 June 2016, Melbourne, VIC

#9 Soundwave Festival

Headliners: Bring Me The Horizon, Refused, Bullet For My Valentine

After just about surviving liquidation in 2015 and issuing assurances that 2016's festival would go ahead, Soundwave was eventually cancelled due to poor ticket sales. It's another blow to the Australian live music scene, but we hope something even better will rise up and take its place.

#8 Meredith Music Festival

Headliners: Father John Misty, Ratatat, Floating Points

A quarter-century young, and Meredith Music Festival still embodies the same spirit in which it was started. No commercial sponsors, little tolerance for anti-social behaviour and a BYO policy on alcohol (no glass).

Where & when: 11 – 13 December 2015, Meredith, VIC

#7 Rainbow Serpent

Headliners: Oliver Schories, John Digweed, Pachanga Boys

Taking its name from an important aboriginal creation figure, Rainbow Serpent festival operates with a mission for sustainability and a lineup that plays 24 hours a day. It may be a pretty standard, modern take on the music festival format, but it's also pretty remarkable for its attempt to (at least in theory) join up aboriginal culture with Western pursuits.

Where & when: 22 - 25 January 2016, Lexton, VIC

#6 Beyond The Valley

Headliners: Boys Noize, Jamie xx, Seth Troxler

After debuting on Phillip Island last New Year's, Beyond The Valley has moved inland for its second edition. Less than two hours' drive from Melbourne, it'll be a super relaxed way to welcome in 2016.

#5 St. Jerome's Laneway Festival

Headliners: Beach House, Chvrches, Hudson Mohawke

A decade on from humble beginnings in Melbourne, Laneway Festival deals in off-kilter venues and lower profile artists than its national peers. Critics and crowds alike prize Laneway highly, marking a touch-point for Australia's music scene.

#4 Splendour in the Grass

Headliners (2015): Blur, Florence and the Machine, Mark Ronson

Despite boasting not a single blade of what could reasonably called 'grass', Splendour is easily one of Australia's most popular and most respected festivals. Timing it in mid-winter may not help the yellowy-brown colour underfoot, but it does help Splendour pull in genuine A-listers on their way to other dates in Asia.

Where & when: 22 - 24 July 2016, Byron Bay, NSW

#3 Byron Bay Bluesfest

Headliners: The National, The Cat Empire, City and Colour

A festival that trumpets itself as "Australia's premier contemporary Blues & Roots music festival, " yet presents Jurassic 5 as one of its frontline acts of the last 25 years, has got to prompt a bit of noggin-scratching. But we can let Bluesfest off the hook for bending its own rules a little, especially when crowds of 100, 000 show it's obviously doing a lot of things right.

Where & when: 24 - 28 March 2016, Byron Bay, NSW