BIGSOUND 2026: A Lot To Say About The Future Of Australian Music
Words/Images: Aysha Swanson
For four days, Fortitude Valley became a slightly more chaotic version of itself (if even possible).
There were artists everywhere, industry people everywhere, guitar cases everywhere, and the constant stress of trying to work out how you could physically be in three venues at once. BIGSOUND returned for its 25th year with 100 official showcase acts, a packed conference program and, as usual, far too many things worth seeing at the same time.
For me, the week was mostly spent running between Fortitude Music Hall, carparks and whatever venue I could get to before the next set started.
TUESDAY
The week started with Paul Kelly at Fortitude Music Hall for APRA’s Celebrates a Century of Song. It was exactly what you’d expect from Paul Kelly: storytelling, songwriting and a reminder of just how much Australian music history can fit into one person’s career.
Then came one of the week’s most important conversations: BIGSOUND Decides: Current and Future Leaders. With representatives from ARIA, QMusic, GYRO, The Push and UNIFIED Music Group, the panel tackled some of the biggest questions facing the industry. Where does AI-assisted music end and AI-generated music begin? Who owns the work being used to train these systems? And what happens to an industry already struggling to keep venues open when technology begins changing how music is made?
This discussion was of particular interest to me. As both an aspiring artist and music journalist, the question of AI in the creative industries has been weighing heavily on my mind. One of the panelists, Harper Kodicek from Q Music, articulated my own feelings towards AI in a creative capacity almost perfectly.
She described how AI is primarily being advertised as a “quick” and “easy” way to “miss the middleman”, in other words, to skip the labour-intensive processes involved in making music. But why would we want to skip those processes? As musicians, the creative process is the entire point of making music.
Kodicek captured how insulting it can be to reframe creativity as something that needs to be “productivity maxed”. Since when has the goal of music been to produce as much of it as quickly as possible, simply for it to be consumed? The value of music lies in the intrinsically human experience of expressing, creating and engaging with it. The process is not an obstacle to the art, it is the art.
But AI wasn't the only crisis on the table. The panel turned towards Australia’s live music ecosystem, where venues continue to rely heavily on alcohol revenue. The conversation around all-ages gigs offered one potential way forward: if live music is supposed to be sustainable, why does it so often have to be built around drinking? There was also a broader question of how Australian music can become more valuable beyond the stage, particularly through greater use of local music in advertising, television and film.
At this point in the day for me, it was time to stop talking about the industry and start experiencing it.
Public Figures at Crowbar were a perfect way to kick off the night, loud, energetic and pulling some seriously intense facial expressions.
Milly Strange at Blutes was probably my highlight. Her voice is ridiculous, and the band behind her sounded so tight that at points it genuinely felt like listening to the record. I’d had her album on repeat for the past month, so seeing those songs actually come to life was a pretty special BIGSOUND moment.
Any Young Mechanic at Black Bear Lodge brought things back down to earth. The lineup of instruments felt almost refreshing in a festival environment increasingly full of laptops, pedals and production wizardry. There was something raw and honest about it, exactly what you saw was what you got. Add some enthusiastic line dancing at the front and, suddenly, Black Bear Lodge felt less like a Brisbane venue and more like a tavern somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday started with Julia Jacklin.
She spoke about her recording process and the making of The Gem, while also touching on the strange limbo surrounding music videos and whether they still occupy the same place in music culture that they once did.
Then came Stu Mackenzie and Lucas Harwood of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The conversation offered a glimpse into a band for whom music seems to have stopped being something you simply make and become something closer to a way of life.
Constant touring, writing and releasing has become its own rhythm, although that lifestyle comes with its own costs, particularly missing family while on the road. As Lucas put it during BIGSOUND, generosity towards fans comes back around.
That afternoon, 4ZZZ’s 'Sounds Like Community Radio' showcase felt like a particularly Brisbane moment. There is something uniquely special about 4ZZZ’s relationship with the city’s music community, and seeing that translated into a carpark gig was appropriately chaotic.
Super Hotel brought the fun, with dogs wandering around the crowd and the kind of atmosphere that makes you remember live music doesn't always need a stage or a barricade.
SuperNew brought the energy over to Netherworld, while Dumbhead opened at Crowbar with a trumpet and somehow had the entire room looking like they were in a trance.
Stimpies at Black Bear Lodge brought three-part harmonies and punk energy. Divers played Brightside, and Public Figures packed out the Brightside Outdoors stage later that night.
And somewhere in all of that was a secret Grain performance at Quiver, another reminder that the hardest part of BIGSOUND is accepting that you are simply never going to see everything.
THURSDAY
The 'Last Drinks: From Bar Staff to Industry Leaders' panel was one of the most fascinating conversations of the week. Hearing from venue owners and operators across Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide about what it actually takes to keep a live music venue running offered a perspective you rarely get from the audience side of the barricade.
It was less about glamorous industry talk and more about the reality of running a room: keeping the doors open, building a reputation and convincing people to keep coming back. After spending a week watching Brisbane’s venues fill up, it was a pretty good reminder that none of this happens without the people actually keeping those spaces alive.
Then came 'AlienSound' at Quiver, where I caught local artists Special Features, 01 Thurman and Lottie McLeod. Three of Brisbane's finest. 'AlienSound' was an unofficial BIGSOUND showcase thrown by 4ZZZ' Sonic Alien host Jordan Royal and event booker Zac Carr. The two have put on some legendary shows so far, with this one being no different.
The Sycco carpark gig brought another completely different kind of energy. The musicianship was ridiculous, the multi-instrumentalism impressive, and the atmosphere felt distinctly BIGSOUND: people spilling into an unexpected space to watch something they might not otherwise have caught.
And then, finally, Special Features at Crowbar. A packed room. Huge energy. After four days of trying to see as much as humanly possible, it was exactly the kind of performance you want to end BIGSOUND with, a 10/10 way to close out the festival.
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