It wouldn't be Groovin the Moo without a bit of mud, but thousands of keen festival goers didn't seem to mind when the festival returned to Maitland on Saturday.
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While the late afternoon and evening remained relatively dry, showers throughout the morning and early afternoon ensured Maitland Showground became a quagmire.
However the weather wasn't going to deter the fashion, with white cowgirl boots a popular choice of footwear among the crowd.
It was the second iteration of the festival post-COVID after the 2020 and 2021 events were called off due to lockdowns and health restrictions.
But any nerves from last year's event were not on show this year, with the festival back at its pre-pandemic best.
The concert catered to a wide range of demographics from those who packed the Moolin Rouge tent to see UK DJ Eliza Rose's 2022 Triple J Hottest 100 hit B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All) to the older crowd who waited the whole day to see 59-year-old headliner Fatboy Slim close the main stage.
The British DJ behind Praise You, The Rockafeller Skank and Eat Sleep Rave Repeat showed why he has remained on top for decades, with a full-speed hour and 15 minute set.
He kept the crowd warm as the temperature dropped below 13 degrees, even throwing a "I'm in Maitland bitch" line into the set in a mashup of the lyric from LMFAO's I'm In Miami Bitch.
There was plenty of local Aussie talent on show as well, including The Chats, Confidence Man, Skeggs, Ocean Alley, Amy Shark and Ball Park Music who all performed across the two main stages.
Ghanaian-Australian performer Genesis Owusu also kept the energy high in the Moolin Rouge tent, while producer LUUDE also drew a strong audience keen to hear Down Under, his popular remix of the Men at Work classic.
Police maintained a strong presence at the festival from start to finish, including plain-clothed officers seen making arrests outside the venue as festival goers made their way in.
The Maitland leg came after Wayville kicked off the 2023 Groovin tour on April 21. It was followed by Canberra on April 23, before moving to Bendigo on April 29, Sunshine Coast on April 30 and Bunbury on May 6.
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
