CINZIA UBALDI / CINI

Do-Re-Mi, the hills were alive with the sound of oontz oontz.  In 2015, I saw photos of my sister and her mates at Paradise Festival, dancing among the alpine trees. It planted a seed long before the first NYE that I had to experience it for myself. Each year after, I went knocking on Lake Mountain’s door, trying to turn that dream into a reality. In 2025, ten years later and seven years into doing this, bigger and better Mount Baw Baw finally answered. There are two wild locations on my site bucket list. One is now ticked off and the second you’ll have to wait and see. Throwing festivals in flat paddocks has challenged me enough over the years, let alone an alpine mountain. Naively, I had no idea what I was getting everyone into but this one pushed the limits of everything I’ve ever learned. The level of safety, emergency planning, and secret (probably not so secret) stress that went into this one was 🫠. Arriving at a mountain covered in snow on the 26th of December was well outside my skillset. Snow in December in Australia says it all.  Organisers often have a habit of looking at places and thinking, ‘how good would it be to run a party here?’ But those are usually the least feasible options. The most magical locations are often the hardest to even ask the question, let alone get off the ground, especially when navigating Australian bureaucracy and protected environments. But somehow, marrying this place with our NYE community just worked. A match made in the clouds. I’m deeply grateful that Diega was entrusted to care for this mountain. Baw Baw’s first music festival and our first mountain, it was an honour to host whilst ensuring its beauty remained undisturbed.  We overcame a lot to get this party to the summit and I’m proud that we turned the crazy ‘how good would it be to dance here’ dream into reality.

To some, NYE is just the 365th day of the year. To me, it’s somehow become my whole life. My year revolves around how others’ ends/begins. It’s an odd job, and I’m trying not to make it my entire personality. Like all crazy event organisers, I’ve been chasing the dragon, the one that would work and finally prove it was worth it. It hadn’t reached its potential. If you know even a bit of the story and the current event climate, you’d understand how stupid it was to go again. But my story isn’t unique; every festival has a wild tale. I said I’d take a break, but I couldn’t help myself. For the first time, my family, who’ve supported me unconditionally since my first crack at 18, didn’t back my decision. Their hesitation was right. I hadn’t learnt my lesson. If mountains of debt and a broken spirit weren’t enough to scare me, what would? From attending everything, fighting for permits in 2017 and COVID, running it however possible, to now learning from the vets, I’d learnt a lot but still had plenty left in the tank. 2025. Year six. It worked. People locked in support early. My day-oners were coming home. Every artist on my wish list said yes. I swatted away my programming insecurities. The dancers stayed right ‘til the 2nd. We still had the vineyard, my favourite place, meant to be sold by now, never meant to host this, and destroyed twice in floods. The original intention was simple; to fill a gap for what I wished existed over NYE. This year, I also tried to fill an impossible hole for the festivals I love that no longer exist. Years of testing stages, capacities, camping options, and contractors shaped this one. The aim’s to blend what works best, deliver on both fronts, and create something unique. But nothing’s guaranteed. It’s a huge risk, huge reward. I can plan, but so much depends on the dancers and festival overlords. 2025 was the dream outcome, truest to my intention. I’m so grateful for the trust, those who keep me upright, and the talented village that brings it to life. This idea, this new chapter, @diega.au - I guess it’s here and that was maybe a launch. I’ll introduce her soon. Or not. Who knows. But here we are. And here we go.

The last decade has been a tumultuous time for music festivals in Australia but one thing has remained consistent. The rise of boutique festivals.⁠ ⁠ Punters are taking advantage of long weekends, travelling to regional parts of the country and camping in groups, all while enjoying their favourite local and international artists. However, organising these types of events isn’t getting easier. From financing and property acquisition to council permits and climate precautions, the hurdles keep piling up and newcomers to the industry are turning away before they even try. ⁠ ⁠ Cinzia Ubaldi (@highly__flammable ), founder of boutique festival and event business @diega.au , sat down with us to share the lessons she’s learned across her five-plus years of experience and what she believes is key to the growth of Australian boutique festivals going forward.⁠ ⁠ 🎵 D. Tiffany & Maara - “She’s Obsessed”⁠ 🎥 @zai.ali

To everyone involved in the process. Crew, friends, family, attendees and artists. Thank you for riding the crazy train all the way up the mountain with me. For choosing to journey somewhere new on the far side of Melbourne. For opting for the mountain when it wasn’t easy. For not wanting easy. For seeking elevation and deviation in celebration of this small but mighty community. This lil lady is definitely tired. Always dancing that fine line between burnout and motivation. But it’s the support, input and endless enthusiasm before, during and long after the festival that keeps it all alive. It never feels like a slog to get up and do this. I usually need a reminder that this is actually my work and that’s a privilege that only exists because of the people around it. This one felt like the coming together of so many incredibly talented people I’ve met along the way. Little threads from everywhere, which has always been the goal. From Meredith to Waking Life to the old Tabula crew and beyond, pieces of every chapter in the journey so far played a part. This thing belongs to so many now. It’s always amazing seeing the kind of humans it draws in. I’m always learning, meeting new faces and watching this little world grow. Sure, we host the event, but you’re the ones who create it. From Vooze to Tabula Rasa to Diega, the name, the location and the details may change, but the people, the party and the reason remain. You did good. Another one for the history books.

More from year seven

June 2025

Cava, vermut, cava

diega nye bts year six

Getting paid to eat dust and shake ass off the clock in extreme heat. It’s a pretty sweet deal. From Europe >>>> Aus summer season.

Hanoi in September - 6am shooting around Hoàn Kiếm Lake & Typhoon Yagi

Da Nang back in September