Andrew Tijs

Melbourne's Rising festival returns from 27 May to 8 June, with a sprawling program of over 100 events, 376 artists and a mix of world and Australian premieres, bringing music, dance and performance to theatres, galleries, town halls and public spaces across the city

Melbourne is about to turn up the heat this summer as the Athenaeum Theatre welcomes the award-winning production of Saturday Night Fever, with performances kicking off on Thursday, January 8th, 2026, ahead of the official opening night on January 10th.

Sydney Festival opens today, marking its 50th anniversary with a city-wide celebration of theatre, dance, music, visual arts and immersive experiences. From today until Sunday 25 January, Sydney transforms into a living stage, inviting residents and visitors to gather, reflect and reconnect through a diverse program of performances and installations that honour half a century of cultural innovation while looking to the future.

French DJ and producer Hugel has delivered another major moment in his rapidly expanding career with the release of his latest single Jamaican (Bam Bam), his collaborative reimagining with Solto of Sister Nancy's classic anthem. The track, released through Make The Girls Dance Records, in partnership with MoBlack Records, has surged past seven million Spotify streams within weeks, a result that further cements Hugel's position within the top tier of modern electronic music.

Sugar Mountain will return to the centre of Naarm in 2026, reclaiming its roots as an independent festival and bringing its celebrated 360-degree stage back to Melbourne's CBD on Saturday, 21 February 2026. The festival will take over The Paddock, an urban oasis tucked between Federation Square's car park, Birrarung Marr and the city's train line, marking a homecoming for one of Melbourne's most forward-thinking music events.

Sydney Festival will hit a milestone in January 2026, marking 50 years as one of Australia's most culturally defining events. From 8 January to 25 January, Sydney will once again become a living stage for theatre, dance, visual art, literature, cabaret and music, with this year's program celebrating five decades of artistic change while imagining the city's creative future.

Grammy-nominated New York duo Sofi Tukker will return to Australia in 2026 for their first headline tour in four years, bringing their colourful, high-energy live show to Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane.