As BIGSOUND prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Australia’s largest music industry gathering is placing an even greater emphasis on the connections that have made the Brisbane event an essential stop on the global music calendar. Returning to Fortitude Valley from 1-4 September, BIGSOUND 2026 has unveiled a host of international delegates and the first wave of its Artist In Conversation programme, underlining its role as a bridge between Australian artists and the wider world.
Leading the latest announcement are King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s Stu Mackenzie and Lucas Harwood, who will reflect on the extraordinary journey that has transformed the Melbourne collective from BIGSOUND showcase artists in 2013 into one of Australia’s most ambitious and internationally celebrated bands. With more than 25 albums to their name and a fiercely independent creative philosophy, the group has become a blueprint for how Australian artists can build sustainable global careers.
Joining them is acclaimed singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin, whose appearance comes a decade after she first played BIGSOUND in 2016, shortly before the release of her breakthrough debut Don’t Let The Kids Win. Since then, Jacklin has established herself as one of Australia’s most compelling voices, earning multiple ARIA nominations and cultivating an international audience with albums including Crushing and PRE PLEASURE. With a new chapter beginning through her first global deal with 4AD, her return to BIGSOUND arrives at a pivotal moment in her career.
Award-winning Ngarrindjeri producer and composer trials also joins the Artist In Conversation programme. Known for his work with Funkoars and the influential A.B. Original alongside Briggs, trials has spent years helping shape Australian hip-hop. Following the release of his acclaimed solo debut hendle, 2026 finds the artist stepping further into the spotlight.
The conference component of BIGSOUND has long been as significant as the live showcases, and this year’s event brings together representatives from some of the most influential names in global music. Among those heading to Brisbane are Chris Fraser from Partisan Records, Pitchfork associate staff writer Nina Corcoran, Bonnaroo talent buyer Bryan Benson, Mom+Pop Music co-owner Thaddeus Rudd and Soho House London’s Jessica Moss. They are joined by delegates from SXSW, The Great Escape, MOJO in the Netherlands, CUEW Showcase & Conference in Japan, India International Music Week, Skillbox, BBC Radio 1, Bandcamp, Rough Trade, Reeperbahn and Sziget, reflecting BIGSOUND’s growing international reach.
BIGSOUND 2026 will also see the return of popular initiatives including Roundtables, Conversation Corners, the Artist Hub, Delegate Hub, Content House and Goolwal Goolwal, the event’s First Nations-led programme which combines free cultural experiences by day with live music after dark. Additional technology and partner showcases are set to be announced in the coming months.
For a quarter of a century, BIGSOUND has occupied a unique place in Australian music. Equal parts showcase, conference and industry summit, it has helped launch and accelerate the careers of artists ranging from Flume and Courtney Barnett to Tash Sultana and Tones And I. Twenty-five years on, the event continues to be where conversations begin, deals are struck and the future of Australian music takes shape.
BIGSOUND takes place from 1 – 4 September in Fortitude Valley Brisbane, QLD
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