Music

Q&A

Industry Q&A: Kirralee Fitzpatrick from Secret Sounds

Kirralee Fitzpatrick, Ticketing Director for Secret Sounds talks all things festivals ahead of the upcoming season.

It seems Kirralee Fitzpatrick has had quite the journey, from Festival Volunteer to Ticketing Director, she is living proof that a passion for music and live events conquers all. We catch up with her ahead of festival season to find out why Aussie festivals are so special and what work goes into making them so great.

Hey Kirralee, you’ve worked as Ticketing Director for some of Australia’s biggest and best music festivals. How do you plan for a festival such as Falls?

Now in its 26th year, Falls is one well-oiled machine. We start our planning over nine months out and are very lucky to have an excellent team that are not only specialised in their fields, but are collaborative and appreciative of all the pieces that bring the Falls puzzle together.

What defining moments in your career led you to Secret Sounds?

I actually started as a volunteer at Falls Lorne many years ago. From there, I’ve found myself working a variety of roles, said yes to all the opportunities that presented themselves (the good, the bad and the ugly), and have now happily come full circle with my role at Secret Sounds as Ticketing Director.

What do you think makes Australian festivals so unique in comparison to other festivals around the globe?

Australians are a passionate and very loyal bunch – we see that in how audiences respond to line-ups, and how they communicate with the festivals they attend. They also appreciate the areas at festivals that are more than live music, specifically the food and beverage offerings, lifestyle, arts and cultural aspects of events. I think it’s come a long way from when I first started attending events that involved not much more than stages and cans of beer. Audience expectation has increased too which pushes all events to deliver more.

What are the rewards and challenges that you face when working on a festival?

It always amazes me how many components come together to create these pop-up music worlds that resemble a small city. Challenges are often things that we don’t have control over (weather, cancellations, website outages, etc), but the rewards do often come from how everyone works so well together when faced with unexpected challenges. I have made many great friends from the crazy festival world and still feel very lucky to be part of it.

What advice can you give others looking to make waves with a career in the live music space?

Work hard, get involved in any way you can and don’t be afraid to change your path. Just because you dreamed of working at a record label, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider the agency or event opportunities you may come across. There is always something to learn from an experience, even if it’s simply that you don’t ever want to do that again.

What kind of festival goer are you and what’s your favourite part of a festival weekend?

We are generally working on-ground at our festivals, so my favourite part is when I get a chance to check out the event. I also love to see what new features festivals are bringing to the table – food collabs, art, installations, etc – it’s more than just the music for me.

And finally, name the artists you’re looking forward to checking out this festival season.

Interpol, Anderson. Paak, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard @ Falls Festival

Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys, and Travis Scott @ Austin City Limits

Jack River and Mallrat @ Grow Your Own

Jorja Smith and G Flip @ Laneway Festival