Great Southern Nights, a state-wide live music initiative in NSW, is returning in 2026 with a stacked lineup featuring Australian favourites and up-and-comers.
Taking place from May 1st-May 17th, Great Southern Nights activates far and wide, with over 300 gigs taking place in more than 200 venues across Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Dubbo, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads, the South Coast, and Orange. Backed by the State Government, it hopes to supercharge arts and cultural events in NSW.
Great Southern Nights will kick off with a weekend of music and scenery at Dubbo’s Lazy River Estate, featuring multiple ARIA Hall of Fame inductees, with Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, The Cruel Sea, The Cat Empire, Kasey Chambers, and Jess Hitchcock due to perform. This event will be family friendly, licensed/all ages event, and is the perfect way to open the 2026 iteration.
The following weekend, Tamworth Regional Entertainment and Conference Centre will host the Live Fest, offering some of Australia’s finest rock and indie-pop icons, including Lime Cordiale, Jet, The Living End, Thelma Plum, and Kita Alexander.
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True to form, Great Southern Nights’ overall program covers a wide range of genres with some of the finest local heavyweights like Ball Park Music, Jessica Mauboy, The Jungle Giants, Peking Duk, The Whitlams, Jack River, Meg Mac, Young Franco, Genesis Owusu, Playlunch, and so many more. Check out the full lineup below.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism, The Honorable Steve Kamper, said: “Great Southern Nights shows the power of live music to bring people together and create energy in communities right across NSW. When you see local venues buzzing and artists performing in towns big and small, you really feel the impact these experiences have beyond the stage.
“Live Fest adds a new layer to the program, especially for regional centres like Dubbo and Tamworth giving people a reason to turn a great night out into a greater short break,” he continued. “Great Southern Nights is exactly the kind of event that helps showcase what metro and regional NSW has to offer and strengthens our reputation as a leading destination for live music and cultural experiences.”
For more information on gigs and to get tickets, see here.
GREAT SOUTHERN NIGHTS LINEUP 2026 (A-Z)
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Amber Lawrence
Augie March
Baker Boy
Ball Park Music
Beddy Ray
Bliss N Eso
BOY SODA
Cloud Control
Dune Rats
Electric Fields
Emma Donovan
Genesis Owusu
Gordi
Hannah Joy
Hatchie
Hellions
Jack River
Jaguar Jonze
James Reyne
Jessica Mauboy
JK-47
Jon Stevens
LKah-Lo (Nigeria)
Keli Holiday
KLP
Larissa Lambert
Lisa Simone (US)
Maddy Jane
MAY-A
Meg Mac
Memphis LK
Pania
Peking Duk
Pete Murray
Playlunch
Regurgitator
Sara Berki Shane Howard + Shane Nicholson + Sara Storer
Sons Of The East
Steph Strings
The Grogans
The Jungle Giants
The Living End
The Terrys
The Vanns
The Whitlams (Orchestral)
Them & I
Thundercat (US)
Trials
Vv Pete
WAAX
What So Not
WILSN
Young Franco
and more to be announced
