Music for Brisbane

The Tivoli Group, Double J and QPAC presents

OPEN SEASON 2026

LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT
WINTER 2026
BRISBANE / MAGANDJIN

Pre-sale: Thursday 26 March 2026, 7:00am AEST
General on-sale: Friday 27 March 2026, 8:00am AEST
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Featuring… 

GIL SCOTT-HERON by BRIAN JACKSON & YASIIN BEY, ALISON WONDERLAND, SKIN ON SKIN, EARL SWEATSHIRT & MIKE, WEDNESDAY, HIATUS KAIYOTE, SHADY NASTY, MOGWAI, PEACH PRC, SAINT LEVANT, KAE TEMPEST, EDDY CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING, STEREOLAB, SPARKS, DRY CLEANING and many more! 

Brisbane saves its best for winter and the soundtrack to winter 2026 has finally arrived. From 25 May to 25 July, Open Season returns for its sixth edition, bringing together over 100 artists and special events across 10+ venues - spanning theatres, clubs, galleries and public spaces - transforming the river city into a city of sound.

Produced by The Tivoli Group, Open Season has taken root as Brisbane’s defining winter cultural program, championing local, national and international artists and a bold expression of the city’s independent creative spirit. Unapologetically ambitious, the 2026 edition embraces unexpected venues and cross-disciplinary collaborations, creating experiences that are immersive, surprising and gritty.

Open Season is a true grass roots success story. Since its inception in 2020 in the wake of the pandemic, the program has grown from a one-venue, 4-week event to an annual city-wide takeover that sets Brisbane alight each winter. Now spanning eight weeks, Open Season 2026 will activate The Tivoli, The Princess Theatre, QPAC’s new Glasshouse Theatre, South Brisbane’s Fish Lane, the entire Clarence Corner Precinct in Woolloongabba, the historic St Andrew's Church, Quivr in Winn Lane, and various public spaces across the city.

Creative Director Dave Sleswick describes this year’s program as Open Season at its most expansive yet "Open Season has always been about building something from the ground up, a program that belongs to the city and the people who live here. In 2026 we’re expanding further than ever: more venues, more artists, more unexpected spaces. It’s rough around the edges, full of bite and big ideas, and driven by people who genuinely care about making Brisbane a more interesting and culturally rich place to call home."

QPAC Chief Executive Rachel Healy welcomed the return of the Open Season partnership as an opportunity to bring together two very different but complementary arts organisations to present acclaimed international musicians to Brisbane audiences.

“Last year’s Open Season collaboration was a such a roaring success with 35 percent of audiences for the series coming to QPAC for the very first time,” Ms Healy said.

“We’re excited that our Glasshouse is now open and ready to be a part of this year’s Open Season with in-demand international acts such as Mogwai and Sparks on our newest stage, adding to Brisbane’s reputation as a contemporary music destination.”

The 2026 lineup unites international icons, legendary pioneers, emerging voices and local innovators in a cross-genre collision of punk, indie, electronic, jazz, hip-hop, psych and beyond. 

A 2026 program highlight is the world premiere, Gil Scott-Heron by Brian Jackson & Yasiin Bey. See jazz and soul luminary Brian Jackson join forces with hip hop legend Yasiin Bey to perform music that transformed a cultural landscape. Together, they celebrate the revolutionary artistry of Gil Scott-Heron, whose voice and vision continue to inspire generations. ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’, but it will come to life at The Tivoli this May. 

His legacy sits alongside the poetic conviction of rappers Earl Sweatshirt and MIKE, who together bring sharp, introspective lyricism to the stage for a night of unmissable hip-hop and showmanship.  

Heartthrob Saint Levant brings his trilingual love songs to The Princess Theatre. Pulling from a range of cultural background and musical influences, the artist creates a distinct blend of R&B that is having audiences rushing to buy tickets across the globe. 

The sonic weight of Mogwai (celebrating 30 years), Deafheaven, Nothing and Spy expands into immersive, heavy and transcendent territory, while electronic music pulses through sets from Skin on Skin, Alison Wonderland, RONA, Ben Gerrans, Bradley Zero, dameeeeela and C.Frim. 

London four-piece avant garde outfit Dry Cleaning delivers punchy spoken-word minimalism, while North Carolina indie-rockers Wednesday blur alt-country and slacker rock. USA’s Current Joys is the lo-fi, genre-bending solo-project of Nick Rattigan (Surf Curse). The Black Angels and Silversun Pickups channel shoegaze and psych rock with a nostalgic ’90s twist – all on long-awaited, highly anticipated visits to Australia. 

Intimate performances come from Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon (with support from Hana Stretton), whose idiosyncratic melodies and hypnotic guitar work captivate; Kae Tempest, the British poet and musician whose bold spoken-word roots give each song striking narrative force; UK producer Clara La San, known for her dark, delicate vocals and introspective songwriting; The National’s legendary baritone frontman Matt Berninger, making his solo Australian debut; and indie-rock stalwart Ben Kweller, whose melodic hooks and heartfelt delivery round out the international program defined by humanity and powerful songwriting. 

Following the cancellation of her On The Banks performances due to illness, Peach PRC is welcomed into the Open Season program, reaffirming her commitment to her Brisbane fans. Bringing her unapologetically bold hyper-pop world to the stage—where candy-coated hooks meet razor-sharp lyricism, and vulnerability collides with high-gloss theatrics. 

Australian artists remain at the heart of Open Season with internationally lauded Melbourne act Hiatus Kaiyote returning to Brisbane as part of a special 15-year anniversary tour. Exclusive to Open Season is a rare, long-awaited performance by garage-punk legends Eddy Current Suppression Ring. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Rum Jungle, Mulga Bore Hard Rock, Full Flower Moon Band, Shady Nasty, Beddy Rays, Hatchie and Jem Cassar-Daley are also set to perform across the jam-packed season. 

In 2026, Open Season moves beyond stages into the city’s streets, galleries and unexpected spaces. 

A keystone event of the program is Against The Grain Festival, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Brisbane-based event promoters GRAIN. The event is a one-day, multi-venue block party with 30+ artists set to transform The Princess Theatre and the surrounding Clarence Corner precinct into a bustling hub of art and community. The sneak-preview, first-round announcement features Stereolab, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Hatchie, with the full program set to announce of April 1 (no fools). 

Blak Day Out, co-presented by Blak Social, is an annual celebration of Blak excellence and First Nations voices, stories and sound will feature Beddy Rays and Jem Cassar-Daley with many more artists to be announced. 

After a stellar first edition in 2025, South System Vol. 2 is ready to roll back into Fish Lane at South Brisbane, taking the dance party to the back street with free performances from RONA. and many more. Speaking of free dancefloors; Quivr co-presents Centrefold, a celebration of women and GNC creatives and electronic artists including C.Frim, dameeeela, nikitasilly, Peachtings, Squidgenini and more. 

Photographic exhibition Nowhere Fast will take over the Woolloongabba Art Gallery. Curated by John Willstead and Robert Forster, the exhibition features Paul O’Brian’s photographs of Brisbane’s punk and post-punk scene from 1978-1982. Interdisciplinary collaborations see Open Season extend beyond music, including Australasian Dance Collective’s dance piece Assembly Vol. 2 – Dull Boy, Kiosk Films’ dance/film event Cruisin’ For A Brusin’, and SKIN, a dance and live music double bill from Brisbane’s VOiiiD Collective and Bcharre بشرّي,. Together, these projects stretch Open Season into something porous, unpredictable and tactile, where music, dance, visual art and community collide. 

More than a lineup, Open Season 2026 is an invitation to experience Brisbane through music and togetherness, to move between venues, genres, scenes and ideas, and be part of a city coming to life in real time. 

What’s better?? There is still more to come. Stay tuned for the next round of artist and venue announcements on 10 April.

Open Season is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland's Strategic Partnerships Fund and by the Australian Government through the Office for the Arts Revive Live program.