Laneway has confirmed its return for next year.
The festival just wrapped its biggest edition yet, drawing over 200,000 fans to sold-out shows across Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, with an additional 40,000 at sideshows.
Headliners like Charli XCX, Clairo, BICEP, Beabadoobee, Olivia Dean, Remi Wolf, and Skegss made 2025 a standout year, and the festival’s co-founders have already confirmed it’ll be back in 2026.
Co-founders Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio shared their thoughts on the success of this year’s event, saying:
“On behalf of the extended Laneway Festival team, we would like to send a heartfelt thank you to all the artists, amazing people behind the scenes and the beautiful music fans who made the 2025 edition of Laneway our new North Star.
“The team puts so much effort into making sure both our punters and artists have an incredible experience and it is such a joy to see it all come together. We’re not sure how we’re going to top this one, but our firm belief is that the quality of the line-up will be the thing to keep fans, and artists, coming back. To the fans, artists, team, partners and media who have supported us this year – thank you, we love you, see you in 2026!”
The festival’s impact was felt both on and off stage, with Charli XCX summing up the energy of the event:
“I couldn’t be happier to be here with you guys, I swear to god. This is the real shit. The important shit.”
Rolling Stone Australia called it “precisely what the live music scene needed.”
The Guardian added, “The rapturous crowd proves that there is still a huge appetite in Australia for the festival experience, particularly among the younger generation who are hungry for the community and euphoria that only live music can bring.”
Meanwhile, Australia’s festival landscape remains rocky, with Souled Out canceling its 2025 run just a week before kickoff, joining Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo in this year’s list of casualties.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, and we share in your disappointment,” the festival said in a statement.
“Despite our best efforts, the event did not reach the level of support needed to remain financially viable. Like many festivals in Australia, we have faced ongoing challenges in the current market. After exploring every possible option, we’ve had to make the tough call to cancel this year’s edition of Souled Out.”
