It’s rare to step into a space that feels both like a celebration and a homecoming. That’s what Spasta @ the Farm was.

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As an Aussie-born Greek, my identity has always been something I’ve had to navigate. I grew up with yiayia’s cooking, Sunday Orthodox church services, and Greek school on the weekends. But as someone who’s always been drawn to music, food, and art, I’ve often struggled to find where that heritage fits seamlessly into the creative world I live in now.

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Curated by Adriana Lazaridis, a Melbourne-based DJ and Greek creative, Spasta transformed the Collingwood Children’s Farm into a full-blown cultural and musical experience. It had everything you’d hope for in a festival: incredible food, diverse music, and an open, welcoming crowd. But what made it different was that it felt Greek. Not just in name, but in spirit.

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Travelling overseas (especially through Europe) I saw how the Greek community could blend tradition with the underground. Think electronic music in ancient spaces, art shows that celebrate folklore. It made me wish there was something like that back home. Something that felt like me, both modern and connected to patrída (homeland). That’s what made Spasta feel so powerful.​

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Think traditional kafeneion on one end, with rebetiko, zeibekiko and shared meze platters — and on the other, a full-scale stage pulsing with world-class DJ sets. A smaller stage nestled under the trees kept people moving with live bands and groove-heavy rhythms. Across the field, the main stage came alive with deep, driving sets that pulled the crowd into hours of dancing. It was energetic, euphoric, and unapologetically Greek in a way I’d never experienced before.