The sun has shown out for the day, bringing a top of 26C and clear blue skies for the electronic music festival that marks the start of the summer event season.
Skrillex, Lil Uzi Vert, Ice Spice, Four Tet and Marc Rebillet are all due to take the stage as the sun sets over the festival grounds this evening.
Police said they were expecting upwards of 27,000 attendees to turn out at Centennial Park on Saturday and urged festival-goers to keep their health and safety in mind while they party into the evening.
Western Sydney drill rap group OneFour were a last-minute addition to the Sydney line-up and will be cutting it fine to get to the stage on time for their 5pm set.
The group only just wrapped their set at Gold Coast’s Promiseland music festival at 3pm, and have boarded a chopper and private jet in the last hour to get to the Sydney Festival on time.
It’s not the only thing standing in the way of the band taking the stage on Saturday night.
Police have made a habit of shutting down One Four concerts in NSW in the past, largely due to the group’s alleged links to the city’s postcode gang wars.
Lead member, Pio Misa – better known as “YP” won’t appear at the festival set after he was taken into police custody on the same day the group was added to the line-up following an alleged brawl in Windsor last week.
He has since been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and destroying or damaging property.
A high-visibility police operation is underway at Centennial Park, with officers targeting anti-social behaviour and alcohol fuelled violence.
Local officers will be assisted by licencing police, the dog unit, and other specialist commands inside and outside the festival grounds.
Acting Superintendent Nicole Roache urged attendees to look after their mates and seek medical attention if they are starting to feel unwell.
“If you or one of your mates feels unwell, please seek professional medical attention at one of the medical tents on-site,” she said.
“Our goal is for everyone to enjoy the festival safely. We will not tolerate anyone who intends to jeopardise that safety or thinks they are above the law.”
With temperatures climbing throughout the day, she reminded them to stay hydrated and to take breaks in the shade.
“Hot weather mixed with alcohol can be a recipe for disaster, please ensure you and your fellow festival-goers are drinking plenty of water, wear sunscreen and seek shade during the day,” Superintendent Roache said.
Public transport is expected to get congested as the festival comes to a close at about 11pm, so passengers are being warned to leave extra travel time and stay patient.
Originally published as More than 27,000 attend last stop of Listen Out music festival in Sydney
