BIGSOUND To Celebrate 25th Anniversary, Confirms 2026 Dates

BIGSOUND has just wrapped another successful year, and in 2026, the music festival and industry conference will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Commemorating its 25th anniversary, BIGSOUND 2026 will return to the Fortitude Valley in Brisbane and take place from Tuesday, 1 September, to Friday, 4 September 2026. To celebrate its forthcoming return, the BIGSOUND team offered the following takeaways:

• Australia is in the top 10 for music export globally

• Australia is the third largest consumer of country music behind only the USA and Canada

• BIGSOUND alums include Flume, Gang Of Youths, Tones And I, Violent Soho and current ARIA Top 20 Australian Singles Number 1 Keli Holiday.

At this year’s multi-day extravaganza, BIGSOUND welcomed 4,200 festivalgoers—including 1,700 official delegates—who participated in over 500 free events. The industry conference hosted 138 speakers, while the music festival featured 130 bands. Up to 10,000 punters attended the free, all-ages stages at the Brunswick St Mall and Goolwal Garden (Sound Garden) daily.

As part of BIGSOUND 2025, the event organisers partnered with Sounds Australia to put over 500 artists on stages before industry tastemakers.

“For over 15 years, Sounds Australia has been collaborating with BIGSOUND to deliver premier export pathways for the Australian showcasing artists,” said Esti Zilber, Executive Producer of Sounds Australia.

Zilber added, “Through 625 tailored one-on-one meetings this year, 35 influential international music industry professionals were connected with 66 emerging Australian acts. This highly curated experience opens doors to global opportunities, with tangible outcomes already being reported from both sides.”

Reflecting on this year’s event, President of Warner Music Australasia, Dan Rosen, commented: “BIGSOUND is an important platform for our industry — it allows us to come together and share ideas to strengthen and support the future of Australian music.

“In the opening panel, I shared my perspective on Australia’s music export story. Australia is already punching above its weight at eighth globally — and with our artistic talent, infrastructure, and industry focus, we can position ourselves to break into the top five within the next few years.

“When Australian artists are adequately backed and strategically developed, the industry positions them for global impact and long-term success.”

To find out more about BIGSOUND ahead of its 2026 return, head to the event website.