Australia’s two signature outback music festivals are gearing up for a massive return in 2026 with stellar line-ups and desert spectacles that promise to reignite the magic. After a one-year pause, the Birdsville Big Red Bash returns July 7-9, while the Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash takes centre stage August 20-22, both unveiling rosters stacked with Australian music royalty.
The Big Red Bash, often billed as the world’s most remote music festival, sits 35 km west of Birdsville on the Simpson Desert. Founded in 2013 by Greg Donovan, it has grown from an intimate desert gathering into a mammoth three-day camping spectacular.
Following its cancellation in 2025 – a decision framed as a needed “breather” to recharge for the mammoth logistics of setting up a desert city from scratch – the Bash returns in full force. Greg Donovan says the 2026 edition marks a “joyful return to form,” with the team refreshed and ready to bring thousands back to the dunes.
This time, the Big Red Bash line-up reads like a who’s who of Australian music: Missy Higgins (exclusive to Big Red), Hoodoo Gurus, The Teskey Brothers, The Living End, Birds of Tokyo, Jessica Mauboy, Shannon Noll, Kate Ceberano, The Whitlams, Tim Finn, Troy Cassar-Daley, Ross Wilson, Chocolate Starfish, Furnace and the Fundamentals, plus special tributes like 50 Years Of Fleetwood Mac, Shane Howard, Wes Carr, Jem Cassar-Daley, Tom Busby and Gypsy Lee.
Notably, 2026 will bring family touchpoints: Gypsy Lee joins her mother Kate Ceberano on stage for the first time in Birdsville, while Jem Cassar-Daley will accompany her father Troy.
Missy Higgins says, “My band and I absolutely love playing in the desert … miles in dusty caravans … so unique and so Australian.” The Teskey Brothers, making their Bash debut, add, “We’ve heard a lot about these desert shows … Very excited.” Meanwhile Dave Faulkner of Hoodoo Gurus recalls their first Bash in 2023 as one of the most memorable gigs of their career, and says they are “psyched” to return.
Launched in 2021, the Mundi Mundi Bash was conceived to bring outback music magic to Broken Hill’s surrounds, combining mining heritage, regional art and film history, and desert spectacle.
The festival is held on Belmont Station, on the Mundi Mundi Plains, set against the dramatic Barrier Ranges. Previous editions have drawn sold-out crowds, with 2024 attracting around 14,000 attendees.
In past years, the festival has also broken world records for group dance events including the Nutbush and Freeze Frame challenges, continuing the friendly rivalry between Queensland and New South Wales for outback bragging rights.
For 2026, Mundi Mundi’s line-up features The Teskey Brothers, Jon Stevens, John Butler, Boy & Bear, Baby Animals, Jessica Mauboy, The Whitlams, Leo Sayer, Tim Finn, Richard Clapton, Troy Cassar-Daley, Chocolate Starfish, Furnace and the Fundamentals, Wendy Matthews, The Radiators, Shane Howard, Fanny Lumsden, 50 Years Of Fleetwood Mac, Hot Potato Band, Tom Busby and Wes Carr.
Festival organisers are also working on a fresh activity to replace the much-loved Nutbush dance-off at both events, with more details to come.
The Big Red Bash offers dancing at sunset beside a 40-metre-high sand dune, while Mundi Mundi transforms into “Mundiville,” a temporary mini-town on the plains. Donovan says the magic lies in watching families dance in dunes or gathering thousands under the endless outback sky.
Both events are all-ages, dog-friendly and BYO, with heavily reduced pricing for under-18s. They draw a mix of grey nomads, camping enthusiasts and travellers seeking a unique sonic pilgrimage. Birdsville expects around 10,000 attendees, while Mundi Mundi anticipates close to 15,000.
Though remote, both sites are accessible by road (sealed approach roads, with a short gravel turnout for Birdsville). Self-drive is the norm, but shuttle buses, flights and train connections are offered for convenience. Camping, food vendors (hot/cold, non-alcoholic), photography, film nights, camel rides, charity runs and comedy round out the festival experience.
Ticket sales begin for Birdsville on October 23, and for Mundi Mundi on October 24 at 10 am AEDT. Volunteer applications open earlier – past volunteers from October 18-19, new volunteers from October 22.
Tour Dates & Festival Info
2026 Birdsville Big Red Bash
When: July 7-9, 2026
Where: Big Red dune site, 35 km west of Birdsville
Tickets & Info: bigredbash.com.au
Line-up: Missy Higgins, Hoodoo Gurus, The Teskey Brothers, The Living End, Birds of Tokyo, Jessica Mauboy, Shannon Noll, Kate Ceberano, The Whitlams, Tim Finn, Troy Cassar-Daley, Chocolate Starfish, Ross Wilson, Furnace and the Fundamentals, 50 Years Of Fleetwood Mac, Shane Howard, Wes Carr, Jem Cassar-Daley, Tom Busby, Gypsy Lee
2026 Broken Hill Mundi Mundi Bash
When: August 20-22, 2026
Where: Belmont Station, Mundi Mundi Plains, 9 km north of Silverton / 35 km north of Broken Hill
Tickets & Info: mundimundibash.com.au
Line-up: The Teskey Brothers, Jon Stevens, John Butler, Boy & Bear, Baby Animals, Jessica Mauboy, The Whitlams, Leo Sayer, Tim Finn, Richard Clapton, Troy Cassar-Daley, Chocolate Starfish, Furnace and the Fundamentals, Wendy Matthews, The Radiators, Shane Howard, Fanny Lumsden, 50 Years Of Fleetwood Mac, Hot Potato Band, Tom Busby, Wes Carr.
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