Before the conference rooms fill and the showcase venues come alive, BIGSOUND 2026 will once again shine a spotlight on one of Australian music’s most important foundations. Sounds Like Community Radio returns to Brisbane on 2 September, transforming 4ZZZ into a live hub of performance, broadcasting and music discovery with a lineup celebrating the artists and stations that continue to shape Australia’s independent music landscape.
Presented by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia through amrap.org.au, the free event brings together Milly Strange, Djarraway, Public Figures, Say True God?, Superhotel and Joey Leigh Wagtail for an afternoon of live performances broadcast nationally via the Community Radio Network (CRN).
Running from 1pm to 6pm at 4ZZZ in Fortitude Valley, the event captures the collaborative spirit that has long defined Australia’s community radio sector. Live performances from the station’s studios and the iconic Zed Carpark will be interwoven with presenters from stations including Triple R, PBS 106.7FM, Three D Radio, Edge Radio, SYN and fbi.radio, creating a national broadcast that highlights the role community radio continues to play in championing local music.
The lineup reflects the diversity that community radio has consistently embraced. Djarraway blends roots and reggae with First Nations storytelling, while Milly Strange brings emotionally charged songwriting shaped by folk and alternative rock. Joey Leigh Wagtail draws on folk, country and blues traditions to explore identity, Superhotel combine alternative country with indie-pop charm, Public Figures deliver socially conscious punk, and Say True God? rounds out the bill with thoughtful hip-hop rooted in Mandandanji and Waanyi culture.
The event also serves as a reminder of community radio’s continuing influence. More than 5.4 million Australians tune into community radio each week across a network of over 450 licensed stations, with recent research estimating the sector contributes more than $153 million annually to Australia’s music economy. Beyond the numbers, its impact is perhaps best measured through discovery, providing emerging artists with a platform long before mainstream radio catches on.
As BIGSOUND continues to celebrate the future of Australian music, Sounds Like Community Radio acknowledges the people who have been helping build that future all along. It’s an afternoon dedicated not only to new artists, but to the volunteers, presenters and stations that continue to connect communities with the country’s most exciting music.
Sounds Like Community Radio
Wednesday 2 September 2026
1.00 pm – 6.00 pm
4ZZZ, 264 Barry Parade, Fortitude Valley
Free Entry
Milly Strange, Djarraway, Public Figures, Say True God?, Superhotel and Joey Leigh Wagtail
