After a wildly successful debut in 2024, selling out in Naarm/Melbourne, New Bloom Festival is back for round two in 2025, bringing a fresh wave of alt-rock, post-hardcore, grunge, and punk acts to Meanjin/Brisbane, Eora/Sydney, and Naarm/Melbourne this March. Tickets are available here.
New Bloom has quickly become hallowed ground for the next generation of heavy music, spotlighting rising talent while keeping the raw energy of DIY hardcore alive. This year’s edition is no exception, with a lineup that features a huge mix of international and local acts already making waves in the scene.
Returning to Australia for the first time in years, Basement and Balance and Composure lead the charge alongside Drain, One Step Closer, Sweet Pill, and Glitterer. Fans can also expect a host of homegrown talent on the bill with the festival’s commitment to championing Australia’s alternative music community.
Adding to the chaos, Drain will also be heading out on a run of headline sideshows alongside One Step Closer. Off the back of their festival appearances, the Santa Cruz hardcore outfit will be bringing exclusive mayhem to the Sunshine Coast, Hobart, Wellington, and Auckland next month.
For the uninitiated, Drain is an experience. Their shows are pure, unfiltered chaos, complete with boogie boards, pool noodles, and relentless hardcore catharsis. Led by Sammy Ciaramitaro, a frontman whose presence has been likened to “Golden Retriever energy”, Drain has played a key role in the recent resurgence of American hardcore, blending thrash, punk, and breakneck energy into anthems built for the pit.
Expect a set stacked with cuts from their 2020 debut ‘California Cursed’ and 2023’s ‘Living Proof’, albums that capture the sun-drenched, surf-and-violence duality of their Santa Cruz roots. Whether you’re a long-time fan or just looking for an excuse to get absolutely rinsed in a sweaty, full-throttle hardcore show, these are the headline dates you want to make.
Basement
Balance and Composure + DRAIN
One Step Closer + Sweet Pill + Glitterer
Saturday 8 March – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
with Primitive Blast, The Others, Colourblind, Deadshowws, Wifecult + Masochist
Sunday 9 March – Roundhouse, Sydney
with Secret World, Gloam + Feel The Pain
Monday 10 March – The Timberyard, Melbourne
with Horsepower, Wayside + Crawling
DRAIN WITH SPECIAL GUESTS ONE STEP CLOSER:
THURSDAY 6 MARCH – KINGS BEACH TAVERN, SUNSHINE COAST (18+)
SATURDAY 8 MARCH – NEW BLOOM FEST, BRISBANE (18+)
SUNDAY 9 MARCH – NEW BLOOM FEST, SYDNEY (18+) TICKETS SELLING FAST
MONDAY 10 MARCH – NEW BLOOM FEST, MELBOURNE (18+) LOW TICKETS
WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH – ALTAR, HOBART (18+)
FRIDAY 14 MARCH – SAN FRAN, WELLINGTON (18+)
SATURDAY 15 MARCH – NECK OF THE WOODS, AUCKLAND (18+)
