The smaller three-day event, staged for the first time over the last weekend of March, which has been hailed a success, attracted upwards of 2,500 people to the town.
“We're really happy with how everything went. We even managed to get the weather right for this one,” said QMF Director Andrew Orvis.
“There were lots of happy people, artists, crew and volunteers that enjoyed the return of live music to the festival stage in Queenscliff. We had approximately 2,500 people through over the weekend. We're really happy with that result for a first-time festival and with everything that's happened over the last couple of years.”
Mr Orvis said while there were always a few areas for improvement, By the Pier succeeded in its twin aims of bringing live music back to the town and giving artists a leg up after two years of limited performances.
Twenty-three acts – largely targeted at a younger audience - performed across the three days, with acclaimed singer Vera Blue providing a powerhouse Sunday night performance to a packed audience to close out the show.
“There were lots of really happy artists back doing what they love,” said Mr Orvis. “One of the big reasons for doing this event was to get artists back on stage, crew back working, vendors back trading, and people back to Queenscliff.
“We'll look at all the feedback in the coming weeks… we’re going to wrap this year’s up, get cracking on QMF for November 25-27 this year, and then we'll have a look at what the future holds.
“We've also got some great shows coming up in the Queenscliff Town Hall that are worth checking out,” he said.