BIGSOUND Turns 25 With A Massive First Artist Announcement

Half the fun of BIGSOUND is pretending you discovered someone before everyone else did.

Australia’s biggest music industry week has officially unveiled its first artist announcement for 2026, with the BIGSOUND 100 set to take over Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley across three nights this September in celebration of the event’s 25th anniversary.

NGAIIRE – ‘AFAR’

Across 15 venues, industry delegates, artists and fans will once again descend on the Valley for the annual choose-your-own-adventure marathon of showcases that has become one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most important launchpads for new music.

And as always, the challenge isn’t finding something good – it’s figuring out how to clone yourself enough times to see everything.

This year’s lineup spans indie, heavy, electronic, hip hop, pop, folk and everything in between, bringing together some of Australia and Aotearoa’s most exciting emerging and established voices. Among the first names revealed are neo-soul powerhouse Ngaiire, indie-pop standout Jem Cassar-Daley, fast-rising Auckland outfit Daily J, internationally acclaimed songwriter Sam Fischer, alt-pop icon Ladyhawke and surf-folk favourite Jack Botts.

Elsewhere, the lineup throws a spotlight onto artists already building serious momentum including Any Young Mechanic, Public Figures, AKOSIA, Zach Stephenson and Lara Buchanan, alongside a huge cross-section of names spanning every corner of the local scene. Heavy heads are eating too, with appearances from acts including blinder, Indigo Blaze, nightdive and Pretty Bleak among the 100 announced artists.

This year also marks the final BIGSOUND showcase programmed by Casey O’Shaughnessy and Katie Rynne, who described the class of 2026 as a group of artists “pushing boundaries, building real momentum, and creating the kind of moments BIGSOUND is known for”.

The wider conference program continues under this year’s theme, Creativity In Conversation, with previously announced Artist In Conversation sessions featuring King Gizzard’s Stu Mackenzie and Lucas Harwood, Julia Jacklin and trials, alongside international guests spanning labels, festivals and media from around the world.

For anyone keeping score at home: BIGSOUND alumni includes names like Flume, Tash Sultana, Tones And I and Courtney Barnett.

So if history tells us anything… there’s probably at least one future arena headliner buried somewhere in this list right now. Good luck picking just one.

Peep the first artist announcement for the 2026 extravaganza down below.

BIGSOUND 2026 – 1ST ARTIST LINEUP

In Alphabetical Order

• AKOSIA
• Ally Row
• And Beyond
• Any Young Mechanic
• BALA RONTU
• belac
• Betty
• Birdland
• blinder
• blue diner.
• Blush’ko and The Lazy Boys
• CATPISS
• Clancy
• Daily J
• DC Maxwell
• DeepFaith
• Denvah
• Deva Mahal
• Divers
• Djawarray and Mayi Wunba Dancers
• dœgægé
• DRIZZZ
• Dugong Jr
• Dumbhead
• eli wan
• Erika Ever
• Fletcher Kent
• Gloam
• Grace Chia
• Greatsouth
• HARLEY GIRL
• Hayley Jensen
• Indigo Blaze
• Jaal
• Jack Botts
• JALMAR
• Jem Cassar-Daley
• Jett Blyton
• JIMI THE KWEEN
• JJ Vacant
• Kaikobad
• Kidskin
• Kiz
• koady
• Kyla Belle
• L.O.W
• Ladyhawke
• LamBros.
• Lara Buchanan
• Late June
• Lazy Haze
• Lightyears
• LIQUID ZOO
• Local the Neighbour
• Loosie Grind
• Lover
• Maybe Hugo
• Mertas
• Milly Strange
• Mim Jensen
• MOKOMOKAI
• Ngaiire
• nightdive
• PA777IENCE
• PASH
• Peach Fuzz
• Piper Butcher
• Polly
• PRETTY BLEAK
• Public Figures
• Queenie
• Ricky Neil Jr.
• Rromarin
• Ruby Mae
• RubyHoo
• Salty
• Sam Fischer
• Say True God?
• Scratching
• Sidney
• Sidney Phillips
• Silky Roads
• Special Features
• Stimpies
• SUPERNEW
• Sweatbaby
• TANISHA
• Tear Drive
• TEENS
• THE BROWNS
• The Cheaks
• THEADORE
• Tori Darke
• Toy Shaw
• TRAVIS COLLINS
• Tusekah
• Wild Gloriosa
• WIN BIG
• Zach Stephenson 
• Zipporah

BIGSOUND 2026 | 1 – 4 September Fortitude Valley Brisbane, QLD

DELEGATE PASS – ON SALE FROM 4 JUNE

EARLY BIRD PRICING (UNTIL 30 JUNE 2026)

SECOND RELEASE PRICING (1 JULY – 31 JULY)

Student and concession pricing available, see bigsound.org.au for more information.

FESTIVAL PASS – ON SALE FROM 15 JUNE

3-Night Festival including afterparties

Full Price: $129 / Early Bird Pricing (until 31 July): $100

1-Night Festival

Full Price: $69 / Early Bird Pricing (until 31 July): $50

Youth (25 and under) and Concession Pricing: $30

Further Reading

The New Rules of A&R: Industry Leaders On What They’re Looking For At BIGSOUND 2025

Meet Trophy Wyfe: The Newcastle Teens Crowned triple j Unearthed High Winners For 2026

Teenager Reunite, Release Comeback Single ‘A.A.’

The post BIGSOUND Turns 25 With A Massive First Artist Announcement appeared first on Music Feeds.

View the full article