February 25, 2019

O-Festival introduces students to fun of campus life

Annual event features musicians, pool party, moonlight cinema, and scavenger hunt

Thousands of students will kick off the academic year this week with an introduction to campus life, as the University of Wollongong (UOW) holds its annual Orientation Festival.

The three-day event (from Tuesday 26 February to Thursday 28 February), hosted by Uni Life, will give new students a taste of the breadth of activities, events, and sports they can get involved in at UOW, and also help them to meet new friends from all walks of life.

This year will be better than ever with more than 80 clubs taking part in the O-Festival.

The Wollongong campus will come alive with music performances every day. Musicians such as Hot Potato Band, Bearded Cat, Ranis Fire, The Vintage Stylus, Cats Not Dogs, Rachel Tidbury, Mel Stjepanovic, and Rani’s Fire will be providing the entertainment between 11.30am and 2.30pm every day, alongside a host of local DJs. There will also be carnival games across campus.

Students can enjoy loads of free food, including sliders, tacos, hot dogs, fairy floss, and snow cones.

This year, Uni Life will once again be holding the popular Pool Party, a highlight on the O-Festival schedule. Last year, more than 800 students attended the event at UniActive’s 50-metre pool, which transforms into a water park with an inflatable obstacle course. This year will be bigger than ever, with fun in the pool and out, where students can play outdoor Jenga or Connect 4.

The Under the Stars outdoor cinema, on Duck Pond Lawn, is also one of the most popular events. This only occurs once a year, and the evening’s film will be Avengers: Infinity War.

The annual O-Hunt will return in 2019, with more than $1500 in prizes hidden across campus. Students can win lots of great rewards while taking part in a fun scavenger hunt that helps them get to know the campus. Students can finish the week on a high note with the O-Party, featuring great musicians spinning tunes all night at Uni Bar.

For more information on all the events taking place during the week, check out the O-Festival Facebook page.

O-Festival is held during the traditional O-Week, in which students complete their enrollment and orientation at UOW.