Fridayz Live is over for another year, and it looks like the festival will return in 2026.
The nostalgia-driven hip-hop and R&B festival journeyed around the country over the past week, bringing the music of Pitbull, Mariah Carey, and more icons to local fans.
In a press statement released today, Mushroom Chief Executive Matt Gudinski revealed that all four cities sold out this year.
“I’m immensely proud of what we’ve delivered with Fridayz Live in 2025. All four cities selling out with over 160,000 attendees is a significant milestone, but what matters most was the quality of the experience for fans and artists alike,” he said. “The consistent feedback is that this is one of the best concert experiences people have ever had, and that’s what drives us.”
Presented by MG Live and Hit Network, Fridayz Live 2025 featured the likes of Tinie Tempah and Wiz Khalifa alongside Pitbull and Mariah Carey.
In the same press statement, organisers teased a return in 2026, writing “[s]ee you next year!”
Fridayz Live 2025 was roundly praised by Australian critics.
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“Fridayz Live kicked off in Brisbane on Friday night with blistering sets from Mariah Carey, Pitbull, Wiz Khalifa and more… A lot of “remember when?”s were overheard, and maybe a lot more will be generated from tonight,” we wrote in a four-star review.
Our review had particular praise for the bald wonder: “In a festival landscape where extravagance often outweighs execution, Pitbull reminded Brisbane what a consummate showman looks like — equal parts Casanova and motivational speaker. He even spoke of SLAM, the school he founded in Miami for underprivileged youth, before bowing out with gratitude.”
Mariah, too, put in a grand performance. “Not every moment was perfect: her mic occasionally dipped, and she allowed her rapper to carry part of ‘Fantasy’. But when Carey found her stride, the arena stood still. Her humour, too, was on display — especially when she theatrically recoiled after tasting Vegemite on stage. “No,” she deadpanned, to riotous laughter,” our review read.
