"Canberra's an awesome place," the lead singer of Aussie band Royel Otis says from Spilt Milk's main stage during an early afternoon time slot.
"F--- yeah, Canberra."
The local shoutout gets a large cheer before the band breaks into Sofa King.
The song's repeated singalong line, "you're so f---ing gorgeous", felt apt as thousands of people dressed in their best kits slowly filled Exhibition Park in Canberra on Saturday for the popular music festival.
Cowboy hats, gumboots, suits, band tees, monochrome, fluro, and more than one cow outfit made up the bopping and swaying crowd standing in an increasingly muddy mosh pit thanks to the rain.
But 2023 didn't just boast a lineup, including Post Malone, Ocean Alley, Lime Cordiale, Budjerah, Latto, Tkay Maidza and Dom Dolla, that drew people from hundreds of kilometres away.
Luca Zappia and Lara Belbin at Spilt Milk.
Luca Zappia and Lara Belbinat at Spilt Milk. Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageHanna Metcalfe at Spilt Milk. Picture by Gary RamageHeather Knox at Spilt Milk. Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageManni Jip, Hanna Metcalfe, Sarah Bowering, Cooper Clark. Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageKora Fripp with Jasmine Daley-Webb at Spilt Milk. Picture by Gary RamagePill testing was available at the festival. Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageRubie Wright and Nikea Coram Leeton. Picture by Gary RamageShanise Mongta-Porter with Ruby Stork in a Red phone box at Spilt Milk. Picture by Gary RamageEmily Viggor, Stephanie Gay and Chloe Lines at Spilt Milk. Picture by Gary RamageIndi Henderson Jacob Ney. Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary RamageThousands of people attended the Spilt Milk 2023 at Exhibition Park in Canberra.
Picture by Gary Ramage
Hidden away in a building for privacy and helmed by a team of people wearing "I support pill testing" T-shirts was Pill Testing Australia, back at a Canberra festival for the first time since 2019's Groovin the Moo.
The territory government pill testing site at the City Community Health Centre, CANtest, also extended its opening hours over the weekend, operating between 10am and 1pm on Saturday.
On hand at Spilt Milk making sure crowds could "have a good time and be able to get home again" were the roaming Red Frogs, who have handed out lollies and checked up on festivalgoers for 26 years.
"Red Frogs is all about minimising harm amongst young people, because we understand the culture they're in is very much driven by drugs and alcohol," Red Frogs Australia's Rebekah Gilchrist said.
"We're there so there's a positive peer present to make sure they're partying safely."
After kicking off its 2023 run in Canberra, the touring music festival will head to the Gold Coast.
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