Brisbane’s winter renaissance continues, with Open Season unveiling its program for 2026. The annual eight-week, city-wide run is once again set to turn the river city into a live music playground.
Running from May 25 to July 25, the sixth edition of the festival brings together more than 100 artists across over 10 Brisbane venues, stretching from The Tivoli and The Princess Theatre to QPAC’s new Glasshouse Theatre, Fish Lane and beyond.
Beginning as a single-venue experiment in 2020, the 2026 line-up reflects the exponential growth of a festival quickly earning its reputation as a seasonal institution. The Winter limbo is now the hottest season for live music in Brisbane.
The program pulls together a wide cross-section of international and local artists, from Mogwai and Kae Tempest, to Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE.
Australian artists remain central to the program, with Hiatus Kaiyote returning for a 15-year anniversary tour and Eddy Current Suppression Ring making a rare live appearance, joined by the likes of Hatchie, Shady Nasty and hometown heroes Beddy Rays.
Clear you schedule and raid your ticket fund, Open Season has something for everyone. With the likes of Sparks and Dry Cleaning sitting alongside rising names like Clara La San, heavier sounds coming via Deafheaven and Nothing, the stacked line up keeps coming.
Beyond the headline shows, Open Season continues to stretch into the city itself. Multi-venue events like Against The Grain will once again transform the Clarence Corner precinct, while exhibitions, free events and interdisciplinary projects push the program beyond the traditional gig format.
It’s this breadth that continues to define Open Season not simply as a festival, but as a way of experiencing Brisbane differently. As Creative Director Dave Sleswick puts it, Open Season has always been about building something that belongs to the city—“rough around the edges, full of bite and big ideas.”
From it’s halls and theatres, it’s churches and pubs, Open Season is a unique showcase of what Brisbane is really all about. As a capital and a live music host, Open Season it putting Brisbane on the map all Winter long.
Open Season Winter 2026 lineup:
Gil Scott-Heron by Brian Jackson & Yasiin Bey | Mogwai | Current Joys | Dry Cleaning | Ben Gerrans| Bradley Zero | Mulga Bore Hard Rock| Sparks, Artificial (Live + AV) | Matt Berninger (The National) | Cat Le Bonm | Alison Wonderland | Wednesday | Sorry | Quivr Laneway Party: Centrefold | Kae Tempest | Saint Levant | The Black Angels | Nowhere Fast: The Photograph of Paul O’Brien | Assembly Vol. 2 | Clara La San | Rum Jungle | Against The Grain Festival | South System Ft. Rona | Shady Nasty | Ben Kweller | Hiatus Kaiyote | Deafheaven | Cruisin’ For A Bruisin’ | Skin – Voiid Collective & Bcharre | Peach PRC | Skin On Skin | Full Flower Moon Band | Silversun Pickups | Blak Day Out | Eddy Current Suppression Ring
More info & tickets: openseason.live
Header and image credit: Somefx
