How are brands trying to reach Gen Z at Australian music festivals? At the 10th instalment of Beyond The Valley (BTV), organisers say partners shifted toward experience-led activations designed to prioritise connection, creativity and “genuine value” for festivalgoers.
The multi-day event delivered its largest and most diverse program of brand activations to date, spanning lifestyle and wellness, cultural moments and premium music programming.
What festivalgoers saw on site
Festivalgoers moved through spaces including The Lounge Room, a multi-purpose venue hosting The Daily Aus podcast programming, late-night cinema and curated conversations.
Vanessa’s Place, powered by TAC, offered games, chill-out zones and harm minimisation initiatives. The Palms Pool House reimagined BTV’s Beach Club concept, supported by Gage Roads.
The Sanctuary presented by QV Ceramides also returned with an expanded footprint, offering meditation, massages, saunas, ice baths and cold plunges.
Returning activations and “secret” moments
Several familiar brand experiences returned in updated forms. These included Red Bull Unforeseen (a petrol station and car wash), Smirnoff Schmall Klub (an ice-cream shop façade hiding a bar and venue), and Jack Daniel’s House Party (a curated property themed around 90s memories).
Red Bull Unforeseen
POOF DOOF ‘Cirque Du Slay’ hosted a “Singles At 7” event each night in collaboration with Tinder, adding another programmed layer to the festival’s late-night offering.
Smirnoff Ice Creamery
Bunnings’ first-time partnership
For the first time, Bunnings partnered with Beyond The Valley across pre-event and on-site experiences, including an interactive trade promotion giving festivalgoers the chance to win an Ultimate Camping Experience.
The retailer also ran Helper Hubs as a campsite fix-it zone, offering everything from tent pitching and air mattress pumping to “doof stick” repairs, alongside games and merchandise giveaways.
A Bunnings Helper Hub at Beyond the Valley
Bunnings delivered a sausage sizzle on Main Street supporting the Inverleigh Community Group. A roaming Clean-Up Crew encouraged responsible pack-downs, reinforcing sustainability messaging.
Rachael McVitty, Chief Customer Officer at Bunnings, said: “We are proud to have supported Beyond The Valley and helped festival-goers make the most of their experience at the sold-out event.”
“From a fundraising sausage sizzle and handing out over 1,000 hats to assisting with tent set-ups, camping equipment repairs and distributing gift vouchers to those who helped to leave the BTV site clean – our team was there to keep the good vibes going,” she said.
Bunnings sausage sizzle
Building community before the gates open
New brand partners included Rusty, Umbro and Salomon, with organisers pointing to wellness and sustainability as key themes shaping future festival partnerships.
Salomon’s involvement extended beyond the festival site, with community-led run clubs held ahead of the event. Organisers said the on-site festival run club “continues to ruffle feathers”, generating viral media and social coverage.
Briony Kent, ANZ Head of Marketing at Salomon, said: “Our partnership with Beyond The Valley was about meeting the next generation where they’re at; prioritising movement, connection and wellbeing without losing the magic of festival culture.”
“Gen Z are redefining what these experiences look like, and the Salomon x BTV run clubs flipped the traditional brand activation on its head, creating a moment of balance, community and digital detox before the music started,” she said.
Untitled Group on outcomes for partners
Dwayne Thompson, Head of Partnerships at Untitled Group, said: “In a milestone year for Beyond The Valley, I’m proud of the way our partners (and team) showed up to meet our audience head on.”
“By integrating partners into the moments where Gen-Zers are most engaged, we created relevant and authentic experiences that encourage discovery,” he said.
Jack’s House Party
Morgan Flanagan, Events and Sponsorships Manager at Brown Forman, said: “As one of the most iconic brands in music, Jack Daniel’s partnered with Untitled Group to engage the core 18–25 demographic at Beyond The Valley through our most exciting festival activation yet, Jack’s House Party.”
Top image: Jack’s House Party