BIGSOUND Reveals Festival Showcase Line-up For 2026 Event

Mary Varvaris

“This year’s program is packed with artists pushing boundaries, building real momentum, and creating the kind of moments BIGSOUND is known for,” said programmers Casey O’Shaughnessy and Katie Rynne.

Raave Tapes performing at BIGSOUND 2024(Credit: Darcy Goss Media)

Ngaiire

BIGSOUND is celebrating 25 years of putting Australian music in the spotlight this year, and today it has announced 100 acts who will perform at the Music Festival Showcase.

Yep, you read that correctly: 100 artists have been confirmed to perform as part of this year’s BIGSOUND, taking over 15 venues across Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley from Tuesday, 1 to Friday, 4 September.

Highlights of the program include 2000s electro-pop hero Ladyhawke, acclaimed musician, visual artist, creator, and facilitator Ngaiire, rising pop artist Jem Cassar-Daley, indie-psych outfit Daily J, singer-songwriter Sam Fischer, Melbourne punks Public Figures, last year’s triple j Unearthed High winner DRIZZZ, the queen of Australian underground rap, Sidney Phillips, and much more. Check out the BIGSOUND 100 below.

The BIGSOUND 100 has been meticulously curated by programmers Casey O’Shaughnessy and Katie Rynne in collaboration with an expert board of artists and music industry professionals. The pair said of this year’s music line-up:

We’re incredibly proud of this year’s line-up. We were, yet again, blown away by the quality of applications, and we believe the artists selected reflect the creativity, ambition and world-class talent emerging from Australia and New Zealand.

This year’s program is packed with artists pushing boundaries, building real momentum, and creating the kind of moments BIGSOUND is known for. As this marks our final year as programmers, we couldn’t imagine a better group of artists to finish on.

Spotify is set to power the backline for the BIGSOUND 100 presenting artists, helping cover the costs of live performance such as amplifiers, drum kits, and other essential equipment.

Today’s announcement follows the reveals of this year’s international conference guests and showcasing individuals in the Artist in Conversation sessions, launching this year’s theme of Creativity in Conversation.

Artists in Conversation presenters include King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s Stu Mackenzie and Lucas Harwood, Julia Jacklin, and trials. Music industry players in the conference line-up include figures from Partisan Records, Pitchfork, Soho House London, Bonnaroo, and more.

The full BIGSOUND program is set to launch in July. Delegate and early bird festival passes are now available – head to the BIGSOUND website for more details.